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Social services manager vs volunteer

The differences between social services managers and volunteers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a social services manager and a volunteer. Additionally, a social services manager has an average salary of $55,773, which is higher than the $31,227 average annual salary of a volunteer.

The top three skills for a social services manager include social work, patients and discharge planning. The most important skills for a volunteer are child care, patient charts, and patient care.

Social services manager vs volunteer overview

Social Services ManagerVolunteer
Yearly salary$55,773$31,227
Hourly rate$26.81$15.01
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs162,1859,583
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age4343
Years of experience1212

What does a social services manager do?

A social services manager is responsible for handling community programs and activities for societal needs. Social services managers coordinate with different local organizations to strategize techniques in building a safe and peaceful environment for the citizens, as well as identifying resources to provide them with their essentials. They also attend community events and meetings to represent the community and propose ideas for community development. A social services manager supervises the program budgeting, as well as reaching out to potential donors and sponsors for funding purposes.

What does a volunteer do?

Volunteers are usually unpaid individuals who render their service to a company or organization. Most of the time, volunteers are skilled in specific areas needed by the organization but prefer to provide free service. They may be employed in another organization, but they lend their time and talent to another organization or company to give back to the community. They raise funds, create awareness, and work on the ground. Volunteers usually choose a cause or advocacy close to their heart, such as teaching children, taking care of the elderly, coaching sports teams, cleaning up communities, and caring for animals.

Social services manager vs volunteer salary

Social services managers and volunteers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Social Services ManagerVolunteer
Average salary$55,773$31,227
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $81,000Between $23,000 And $41,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DC-
Highest paying stateNevada-
Best paying companyCloudflare-
Best paying industryHealth Care-

Differences between social services manager and volunteer education

There are a few differences between a social services manager and a volunteer in terms of educational background:

Social Services ManagerVolunteer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common majorSocial WorkBusiness
Most common collegeSUNY at BinghamtonCalifornia State University - Fullerton

Social services manager vs volunteer demographics

Here are the differences between social services managers' and volunteers' demographics:

Social Services ManagerVolunteer
Average age4343
Gender ratioMale, 20.6% Female, 79.4%Male, 36.0% Female, 64.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%Black or African American, 13.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 7.3% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage11%11%

Differences between social services manager and volunteer duties and responsibilities

Social services manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage the MSW staff and coordinate all social service and select patient service activities.
  • Research community services for patient care and coordinate transportation for patients to external organizations for short and long-term treatment.
  • Provide case-management for patients in a rehabilitation setting, assisting with referrals to appropriate agencies and resources in their local area.
  • Assist with Medicaid applications and insurance problems.
  • Process payroll information in an accurate and timely manner.
  • Help residents with their advance directives, assist in filing Medicaid applications and file and investigate grievances.
  • Show more

Volunteer example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage web presence, including Facebook account and other social media business accounts!
  • Train staff members on managing contacts, scheduling programs, and running analytic reports with the Salesforce program.
  • Lead team-building exercises and facilitate group discussions on leadership topics.
  • Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
  • Supervise and maintain safe play for children's soccer games.
  • Teach GED to refugees and survivors of torture seeking to enroll in college.
  • Show more

Social services manager vs volunteer skills

Common social services manager skills
  • Social Work, 19%
  • Patients, 13%
  • Discharge Planning, 7%
  • Mental Health, 6%
  • Crisis Intervention, 6%
  • Psychosocial Assessments, 4%
Common volunteer skills
  • Child Care, 12%
  • Patient Charts, 10%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Front Desk, 9%
  • Community Outreach, 9%
  • Mathematics, 9%

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