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The differences between school social workers and psychiatric social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a school social worker, becoming a psychiatric social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a psychiatric social worker has an average salary of $59,144, which is higher than the $54,856 average annual salary of a school social worker.
The top three skills for a school social worker include social work, social emotional and IEP. The most important skills for a psychiatric social worker are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.
| School Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $54,856 | $59,144 |
| Hourly rate | $26.37 | $28.43 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 122,376 | 57,284 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
A school social worker specializes in counseling students, families, and faculty members. They are responsible for coordinating with the school to develop programs that prioritize the students' emotional and psychological well-being, respond to any issues and concerns, build rapport to identify their needs, and communicate with support services to provide necessary assistance to any students or families. There are also instances when a school social worker must assist teachers in handling students with behavioral issues, investigating the underlying reasons. Moreover, it is crucial to identify any signs of neglect or abuse, conducting interventive measures right away.
A psychiatric social worker specializes in providing mental health treatments and other services to patients and their families, referring them to other agencies and programs as needed. They conduct assessments and interviews to determine the condition of patients, devise specific treatment and care plans, update and maintain patient records, conduct regular counseling sessions, and monitor the progress of every patient to ensure their health and welfare. They may also provide interventions, train junior psychiatric social workers, and conduct reviews and evaluations on existing care plans.
School social workers and psychiatric social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| School Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $54,856 | $59,144 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $73,000 | Between $43,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Highmark |
| Best paying industry | Education | Government |
There are a few differences between a school social worker and a psychiatric social worker in terms of educational background:
| School Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 51% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | Boston College | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between school social workers' and psychiatric social workers' demographics:
| School Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5% | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 13% |