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The differences between senior social workers and social work supervisors 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 social work supervisor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a social work supervisor has an average salary of $62,939, 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 social work supervisor are social work, patients, and MSW.
| Senior Social Worker | Social Work Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $55,254 | $62,939 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $30.26 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 103,740 | 93,867 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
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.
Social work supervisors are licensed professionals who are responsible for providing administrative, clinical, and supportive supervision to inexperienced social workers. These supervisors are required to organize training to help their subordinates to develop their skills and promote career growth. They must respond to the conflicts occurring within the team and promote ethical behaviors among them as well as manage their schedules and expectations. Social work supervisors must also participate in research and studies which required opinion from social work organizations.
Senior social workers and social work supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Social Worker | Social Work Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $55,254 | $62,939 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $75,000 | Between $47,000 And $83,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Chaplaincy Health Care |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior social worker and a social work supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Senior Social Worker | Social Work Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Master's Degree, 48% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | Boston College | California State University - Fullerton |
Here are the differences between senior social workers' and social work supervisors' demographics:
| Senior Social Worker | Social Work Supervisor | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.1% Female, 76.9% | Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6% |
| 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, 12.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |