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School social worker vs psychologist

The differences between school social workers and psychologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a psychologist has an average salary of $97,803, 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 psychologist are patients, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation.

School social worker vs psychologist overview

School Social WorkerPsychologist
Yearly salary$54,856$97,803
Hourly rate$26.37$47.02
Growth rate9%6%
Number of jobs122,37612,516
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4247
Years of experience4-

What does a school social worker do?

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.

What does a psychologist do?

Sales managers are responsible for leading the organization's sales team. They oversee the progress and performance of the whole team, set area assignments to team members, and set weekly or monthly quotas. Sales managers oversee training team members during onboarding and providing further coaching to help them achieve their goals. They manage the challenges that team members may meet and help mitigate any problems that come along the way. Sales managers also set the strategic direction of the sales team and follow through by ensuring that the team's activities are in line with the goals.

School social worker vs psychologist salary

School social workers and psychologists have different pay scales, as shown below.

School Social WorkerPsychologist
Average salary$54,856$97,803
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $73,000Between $68,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyBoston Public SchoolsSierra Corporation
Best paying industryEducationHealth Care

Differences between school social worker and psychologist education

There are a few differences between a school social worker and a psychologist in terms of educational background:

School Social WorkerPsychologist
Most common degreeMaster's Degree, 51%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorSocial WorkPsychology
Most common collegeBoston CollegeNorthwestern University

School social worker vs psychologist demographics

Here are the differences between school social workers' and psychologists' demographics:

School Social WorkerPsychologist
Average age4247
Gender ratioMale, 17.5% Female, 82.5%Male, 35.2% Female, 64.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 5.1% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 4.2% White, 75.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage10%20%

Differences between school social worker and psychologist duties and responsibilities

School social worker example responsibilities.

  • Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
  • Provide individual, group and family therapy to patients suffering from substance abuse/dependence.
  • Prepare APS reports as needed and present them to the state.
  • Prepare IEP's, set goals, and objectives consistent with CSE standards.
  • Train college interns, new employees, and volunteers on APS policies and procedures.
  • Design school-wide and individual PBIS programs and incentives; as well as compiled data relate to PBIS.
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Psychologist example responsibilities.

  • Supervise mental health staff, including the overseeing of the provision of mental health services in a correctional facility.
  • Provide EMDR therapy for clients with trauma and anxiety.
  • Perform tests to diagnose autism in children or tests for the detection of autism at an early age.
  • Provide supervision and mentoring for APA Pre-Doctoral interns.
  • Supervise clinical activities of doctoral level psychology interns in APA accredit internship program.
  • Evaluate veterans for psychological disorders that may have resulted secondary to their military service for compensation purposes.
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School social worker vs psychologist skills

Common school social worker skills
  • Social Work, 26%
  • Social Emotional, 6%
  • IEP, 6%
  • Community Resources, 5%
  • Professional Development, 5%
  • Behavioral Issues, 4%
Common psychologist skills
  • Patients, 18%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%
  • Mental Illness, 5%
  • Clinical Supervision, 5%
  • APA, 4%

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