Social worker vs family therapist

The differences between social workers and family therapists 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 therapist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a family therapist has an average salary of $50,774, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.

The top three skills for a social worker include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a family therapist are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.

Social worker vs family therapist overview

	Social Worker	Family Therapist
Yearly salary	$50,102	$50,774
Hourly rate	$24.09	$24.41
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	77,340	106,982
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	2	4

What does a social worker do?

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.

What does a family therapist do?

A Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.

Social worker vs family therapist salary

Social workers and family therapists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Worker	Family Therapist
Average salary	$50,102	$50,774
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $67,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Portland, OR	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	Oregon	Oregon
Best paying company	Health Advocates	Dignity Health
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between social worker and family therapist education

There are a few differences between a social worker and a family therapist in terms of educational background:

	Social Worker	Family Therapist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Social worker vs family therapist demographics

Here are the differences between social workers' and family therapists' demographics:

	Social Worker	Family Therapist
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%
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%

Differences between social worker and family therapist duties and responsibilities

Social worker example responsibilities.

Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.

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Family therapist example responsibilities.

Complete documentation to medicaid standards.
Create maximum billable Medicaid hours and submitting necessary paperwork for Medicaid billing.
Apply behavioral analysis instruction for a student with autism concentrating on communication, socialization, self-help skills and community skills.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.

Social worker vs family therapist skills

Common social worker skills

Social Work, 30%
Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 5%
MSW, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Home Health, 4%

Common family therapist skills

Social Work, 27%
Patients, 6%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Community Resources, 4%
Mental Health Issues, 4%
Group Therapy, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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