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Psychological assistant vs social worker assistant

The differences between psychological assistants and social workers assistant can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a psychological assistant and a social worker assistant. Additionally, a psychological assistant has an average salary of $68,862, which is higher than the $37,542 average annual salary of a social worker assistant.

The top three skills for a psychological assistant include patients, crisis intervention and mental illness. The most important skills for a social worker assistant are social work, patients, and public assistance.

Psychological assistant vs social worker assistant overview

Psychological AssistantSocial Worker Assistant
Yearly salary$68,862$37,542
Hourly rate$33.11$18.05
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs90,785115,098
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age4343
Years of experience1212

What does a psychological assistant do?

A psychological assistant primarily performs support tasks to assist a psychologist in treating patients at a medical facility. Their duties focus on helping patients by answering inquiries, giving instructions, explaining procedures, gathering requirements, and conducting initial assessments. They can participate in serving the patients under the supervision and directives of a licensed psychologist. Additionally, a psychological assistant may also participate in conducting research, preparing and processing necessary paperwork, handling calls and other forms of correspondence, and attending meetings and seminars.

What does a social worker assistant do?

A social worker assistant is in charge of performing support tasks for social workers in the joint effort to assist disadvantaged families in communities. Their responsibilities include preparing and processing documentation, managing schedules, arranging appointments with clients and external parties, handling calls and correspondence, maintaining records, and running errands on behalf of staff. Furthermore, a social worker assistant may reach out to families to identify their needs, conduct interviews and assessments, facilitate activities, and monitor the progress of families or individuals, referring them to other agencies as needed.

Psychological assistant vs social worker assistant salary

Psychological assistants and social workers assistant have different pay scales, as shown below.

Psychological AssistantSocial Worker Assistant
Average salary$68,862$37,542
Salary rangeBetween $44,000 And $105,000Between $27,000 And $51,000
Highest paying CitySparks, NVSeattle, WA
Highest paying stateNevadaHawaii
Best paying companyNew York UniversityMinnesota State Fair
Best paying industryNon ProfitsFinance

Differences between psychological assistant and social worker assistant education

There are a few differences between a psychological assistant and a social worker assistant in terms of educational background:

Psychological AssistantSocial Worker Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 52%Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common majorPsychologySocial Work
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversitySUNY at Binghamton

Psychological assistant vs social worker assistant demographics

Here are the differences between psychological assistants' and social workers assistant' demographics:

Psychological AssistantSocial Worker Assistant
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 29.5% Female, 70.5%Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 6.9% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.0%Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.8% Asian, 7.0% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between psychological assistant and social worker assistant duties and responsibilities

Psychological assistant example responsibilities.

  • Lead dialectical-behavioral therapy groups (DBT) for individuals with borderline personality disorder diagnosis.
  • Work with adults with anxiety, depression, bipolar, ADHD and adjustment disorders.
  • Conduct psychological assessment, including learning disability, ADHD, substance use disorders, personality, etc.
  • Administer cognitive assessments to patients presenting with workers compensation and personal injury claims
  • Conduct psychological and psychoeducational testing evaluations for disability and vocational rehabilitation.
  • Conduct psychological and psychoeducational testing evaluations for disability and vocational rehabilitation.

Social worker assistant example responsibilities.

  • Manage the clinic's Medicaid enrollment process and assist clients with their application process under proper guidance.
  • Assist patients in coping with their lifestyle changes and overall help patients achieve optimum independence and reduce re-hospitalizations.
  • Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
  • Refer patients and their families to relevant community resources and coordinate with social services at other community agencies.
  • Maintain accurate records to comply with ESRD and CMS regulations.
  • Participate in monthly interdisciplinary team meetings regarding patient care.
  • Show more

Psychological assistant vs social worker assistant skills

Common psychological assistant skills
  • Patients, 21%
  • Crisis Intervention, 15%
  • Mental Illness, 13%
  • Clinical Supervision, 12%
  • PsyD, 5%
  • Psychological Assessments, 5%
Common social worker assistant skills
  • Social Work, 22%
  • Patients, 14%
  • Public Assistance, 11%
  • Community Resources, 5%
  • Mental Health, 5%
  • Social Services, 5%

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