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The differences between senior social workers and school social 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 school social worker. Additionally, a senior social worker has an average salary of $55,254, which is higher than the $54,856 average annual salary of a school social worker.
The top three skills for a senior social worker include social work, patients and veterans. The most important skills for a school social worker are social work, social emotional, and IEP.
| Senior Social Worker | School Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $55,254 | $54,856 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $26.37 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 103,740 | 122,376 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| 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 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.
Senior social workers and school social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Social Worker | School Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $55,254 | $54,856 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $75,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a senior social worker and a school social worker in terms of educational background:
| Senior Social Worker | School Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | Boston College | Boston College |
Here are the differences between senior social workers' and school social workers' demographics:
| Senior Social Worker | School Social Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.1% Female, 76.9% | Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5% |
| 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% |