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The differences between social workers and family counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a social worker, becoming a family counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a social worker has an average salary of $50,102, which is higher than the $41,510 average annual salary of a family counselor.
The top three skills for a social worker include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a family counselor are social work, community resources, and POC.
| Social Worker | Family Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $50,102 | $41,510 |
| Hourly rate | $24.09 | $19.96 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 14% |
| Number of jobs | 77,340 | 93,253 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.
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 workers and family counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Social Worker | Family Counselor | |
| Average salary | $50,102 | $41,510 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $67,000 | Between $27,000 And $62,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New York |
| Best paying company | Health Advocates | Shirley Ryan AbilityLab |
| Best paying industry | Government | Professional |
There are a few differences between a social worker and a family counselor in terms of educational background:
| Social Worker | Family Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between social workers' and family counselors' demographics:
| Social Worker | Family Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5% | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 19.9% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 3.3% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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 | 13% | 6% |