Social services counselor vs family counselor

The differences between social services counselors and family counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a social services counselor and a family counselor. Additionally, a social services counselor has an average salary of $45,514, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.

The top three skills for a social services counselor include social work, patients and social services. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.

Social services counselor vs family counselor overview

	Social Services Counselor	Family Counselor
Yearly salary	$45,514	$41,510
Hourly rate	$21.88	$19.96
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	151,229	93,253
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	42	41
Years of experience	4	4

What does a social services counselor do?

Social service counselors provide a wide range of counselling such as psychological assessment, diagnosis, and therapy. They must evaluate patient data, do psychological tests, and apply their observations. They may also review clinical issues and programs. Typically, they work in institutions or private practices.

What does a family counselor do?

A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.

Social services counselor vs family counselor salary

Social services counselors and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Services Counselor	Family Counselor
Average salary	$45,514	$41,510
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $65,000	Between $27,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New York
Best paying company	Mission Regional Medical Center	Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Best paying industry	Education	Professional

Differences between social services counselor and family counselor education

There are a few differences between a social services counselor and a family counselor in terms of educational background:

	Social Services Counselor	Family Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Psychology	Psychology
Most common college	Boston University	California State University - Long Beach

Social services counselor vs family counselor demographics

Here are the differences between social services counselors' and family counselors' demographics:

	Social Services Counselor	Family Counselor
Average age	42	41
Gender ratio	Male, 26.6% Female, 73.4%	Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7%
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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	6%

Differences between social services counselor and family counselor duties and responsibilities

Social services counselor example responsibilities.

Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Serve as liaison/advocate between patients and/or families/caregivers and community agencies, other companies as deemed need.
Develop and write the IRP with the client and Treatment/rehabilitation team.
Administer first aid/ CPR as well as handled emergency situations when necessary in the aquatics area and the workout facility.
Escort residents to appointments to train in community integration and other relate rehabilitation services.
Provide individual, group and family therapy to patients and their families in an acute-care crisis stabilization psychiatric hospital.

Family counselor example responsibilities.

Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Assist the clients in completing their DCF case plan, helping to remove any hindrances they may encounter.
Counsele and test patients who requesting confidential HIV testing services
Collaborate and coordinate patient care with resident/faculty physicians to provide appropriate levels of care to patients.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.
Utilize PowerPoint presentations to facilitate ongoing new student orientation, ensuring students understand rules and regulations.

Social services counselor vs family counselor skills

Common social services counselor skills

Social Work, 38%
Patients, 12%
Social Services, 6%
Financial Assistance, 6%
Scheduling Appointments, 4%
Direct Services, 3%

Common family counselor skills

Social Work, 22%
Community Resources, 13%
POC, 7%
Family Support, 5%
Family Therapy, 5%
DOD, 4%

Social Services Counselor vs. similar jobs

Social Services Counselor related careers

Social Services Counselor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Social Services Counselor
Social Services Counselor vs Family Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs