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The differences between support workers and case workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a support worker, becoming a case worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a case worker has an average salary of $41,459, which is higher than the $37,039 average annual salary of a support worker.
The top three skills for a support worker include social work, crisis intervention and treatment plan. The most important skills for a case worker are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.
| Support Worker | Case Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $37,039 | $41,459 |
| Hourly rate | $17.81 | $19.93 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 112,754 | 107,329 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A support worker is responsible for supporting the community programs and development efforts to sustain and ensure the citizens' stability, providing them resources for their daily needs, and helping them with financial assistance requests. Support workers conduct family counseling to identify their challenges and needs and coordinate with the necessary organizations to process their requests. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in filing documents and guiding the citizens in achieving their healthy lifestyle and make a positive difference.
Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.
Support workers and case workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Support Worker | Case Worker | |
| Average salary | $37,039 | $41,459 |
| Salary range | Between $22,000 And $60,000 | Between $30,000 And $55,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Dolby Laboratories | Appalachian Regional Healthcare |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Education |
There are a few differences between a support worker and a case worker in terms of educational background:
| Support Worker | Case Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between support workers' and case workers' demographics:
| Support Worker | Case Worker | |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.1% Female, 70.9% | Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.4% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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 | 8% | 10% |