Social staff worker vs children's counselor

The differences between social staff workers and children's 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 staff worker and a children's counselor. Additionally, a social staff worker has an average salary of $57,877, which is higher than the $38,024 average annual salary of a children's counselor.

The top three skills for a social staff worker include social work, home health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a children's counselor are child care, social work, and mental health.

Social staff worker vs children's counselor overview

	Social Staff Worker	Children's Counselor
Yearly salary	$57,877	$38,024
Hourly rate	$27.83	$18.28
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	112,494	39,726
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Social staff worker vs children's counselor salary

Social staff workers and children's counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Staff Worker	Children's Counselor
Average salary	$57,877	$38,024
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $78,000	Between $21,000 And $66,000
Highest paying City	-	Torrance, CA
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Lake County
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between social staff worker and children's counselor education

There are a few differences between a social staff worker and a children's counselor in terms of educational background:

	Social Staff Worker	Children's Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	Boston College	University of Pennsylvania

Social staff worker vs children's counselor demographics

Here are the differences between social staff workers' and children's counselors' demographics:

	Social Staff Worker	Children's Counselor
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 34.1% Female, 65.9%
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%

Differences between social staff worker and children's counselor duties and responsibilities

Social staff worker example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Determine eligibility for program, monitor and track program requirements, and review Medicaid eligibility.

Children's counselor example responsibilities.

Work towards empowering juveniles and their families to support a positive lifestyle by providing strength base intensive intervention and rehabilitation services.
Develop and attend treatment plan and IEP meetings for adolescents with mental diagnosis.
Maintain IEP goals and classroom management.
Provide behavior modification and social skills training to children and adolescents with ADHD and other behavioral and emotional disorders.

Social staff worker vs children's counselor skills

Common social staff worker skills

Social Work, 36%
Home Health, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Patients, 7%
Discharge Planning, 6%
Family Therapy, 4%

Common children's counselor skills

Child Care, 22%
Social Work, 12%
Mental Health, 10%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Group Therapy, 7%
Family Therapy, 4%

Social Staff Worker vs. similar jobs

Social Staff Worker related careers

Social Staff Worker related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Social Staff Worker
Social Staff Worker vs Children's Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs