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The differences between social services specialists and child welfare specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a social services specialist, becoming a child welfare specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a child welfare specialist has an average salary of $50,377, which is higher than the $48,359 average annual salary of a social services specialist.
The top three skills for a social services specialist include social work, patients and substance abuse. The most important skills for a child welfare specialist are social work, foster care, and child safety.
| Social Services Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $48,359 | $50,377 |
| Hourly rate | $23.25 | $24.22 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 154,022 | 76,508 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A Social Services Specialist provides social services to children and adults in communities, facilities, institutions, or hospitals. They develop and implement specialized treatment programs.
Child welfare specialists are professionals who are responsible for protecting children and youngsters from harm by visiting their homes and other residential facilities to investigate their living conditions. These specialists are required to determine the suitability of the homes and resources of foster and adoptive parents for child placement. They must serve as child advocates by attending court proceedings to provide inclusive court proceedings. Child welfare specialists must also work closely with local enforcement to ensure the safety of children.
Social services specialists and child welfare specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Services Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Average salary | $48,359 | $50,377 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $65,000 | Between $35,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Cherry Hill, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | University of California |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a social services specialist and a child welfare specialist in terms of educational background:
| Social Services Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | California State University - Dominguez Hills | SUNY at Albany |
Here are the differences between social services specialists' and child welfare specialists' demographics:
| Social Services Specialist | Child Welfare Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.5% Female, 78.5% | Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2% | 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 | 11% | 10% |