Social staff worker vs foster care worker

The differences between social staff workers and foster care workers 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 foster care worker. Additionally, a social staff worker has an average salary of $57,877, which is higher than the $46,037 average annual salary of a foster care worker.

The top three skills for a social staff worker include social work, home health and crisis intervention. The most important skills for a foster care worker are foster care, social work, and child abuse.

Social staff worker vs foster care worker overview

	Social Staff Worker	Foster Care Worker
Yearly salary	$57,877	$46,037
Hourly rate	$27.83	$22.13
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	112,494	151,625
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Social staff worker vs foster care worker salary

Social staff workers and foster care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Staff Worker	Foster Care Worker
Average salary	$57,877	$46,037
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $78,000	Between $32,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Riverview Health
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between social staff worker and foster care worker education

There are a few differences between a social staff worker and a foster care worker in terms of educational background:

	Social Staff Worker	Foster Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 49%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	Boston College	Boston University

Social staff worker vs foster care worker demographics

Here are the differences between social staff workers' and foster care workers' demographics:

	Social Staff Worker	Foster Care Worker
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%
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 foster care worker 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.

Foster care worker example responsibilities.

Conduct unscheduled regular school visits to attain records of attendance, suspensions, IEP, and treatment plans.
Manage to write progress note, complete FASP's and input information on PROMIS on a timely manner.
Manage caseload of 18 23 children and adolescents in DSS custody due to abuse, neglect and criminal activity.
Manage a caseload of families with children in DSS custody awaiting return home to family of origin base upon progress make.
Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.
Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.

Social staff worker vs foster care worker skills

Common social staff worker skills

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

Common foster care worker skills

Foster Care, 26%
Social Work, 19%
Child Abuse, 7%
Social Services, 6%
Foster Children, 5%
Community Resources, 4%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Social Staff Worker
Social Staff Worker vs Foster Care Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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