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The differences between senior social workers and foster care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior social worker and a foster care worker. Additionally, a senior social worker has an average salary of $55,254, which is higher than the $46,037 average annual salary of a foster care worker.
The top three skills for a senior social worker include social work, patients and veterans. The most important skills for a foster care worker are foster care, social work, and child abuse.
| Senior Social Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $55,254 | $46,037 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $22.13 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 103,740 | 151,625 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior social worker is in charge of overseeing the support services conducted in a community or a particular area. Their responsibilities often revolve around coordinating different social workers, handling issues or concerns, managing schedules, and performing support tasks for other staff when necessary. They also perform welfare checks on families, provide referrals to other support agencies, conduct interviews and counseling, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect. Furthermore, as a senior social worker, it is essential to lead and mentor junior social workers, all while adhering to the agency's policies and regulations.
A Foster Care Worker helps improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families as well as increases the family's well-being and the academic functioning of children. They counsel families about issues regarding their child's care and develop healthy living situations.
Senior social workers and foster care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Social Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Average salary | $55,254 | $46,037 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $75,000 | Between $32,000 And $65,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Riverview Health |
| Best paying industry | Government | Construction |
There are a few differences between a senior social worker and a foster care worker in terms of educational background:
| Senior Social Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | Boston College | Boston University |
Here are the differences between senior social workers' and foster care workers' demographics:
| Senior Social Worker | Foster Care Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.1% Female, 76.9% | Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9% |
| 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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |