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The differences between senior social workers and licensed 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 senior social worker, becoming a licensed social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a licensed social worker has an average salary of $57,005, which is higher than the $55,254 average annual salary of a senior social worker.
The top three skills for a senior social worker include social work, patients and veterans. The most important skills for a licensed social worker are social work, patients, and home health.
| Senior Social Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $55,254 | $57,005 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $27.41 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 103,740 | 66,130 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require. They may assist these people in connecting to agencies that would cater to their needs. Licensed Social Workers also help people cope with their challenges. They are responsible for crafting treatment plans or well-being improvement plans for the individuals they help. They may also be called on during times of crisis to provide emotional support to the individuals involved.
Senior social workers and licensed social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Social Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $55,254 | $57,005 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $75,000 | Between $41,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Favorite Healthcare Staffing |
| Best paying industry | Government | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a senior social worker and a licensed social worker in terms of educational background:
| Senior Social Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | Boston College | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between senior social workers' and licensed social workers' demographics:
| Senior Social Worker | Licensed Social Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.1% Female, 76.9% | Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9% |
| 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, 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% |