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Support worker vs support coordinator

The differences between support workers and support coordinators 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 support coordinator takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a support coordinator has an average salary of $41,144, 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 support coordinator are customer service, patients, and data entry.

Support worker vs support coordinator overview

Support WorkerSupport Coordinator
Yearly salary$37,039$41,144
Hourly rate$17.81$19.78
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs112,754103,838
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4743
Years of experience612

What does a support worker do?

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.

What does a support coordinator do?

A support coordinator assists disabled participants in developing knowledge, experience, and connections with the community. Support coordinators connect the participants to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and consider appropriate options for them. They are expected to help participants resolve crisis points while assisting them in developing a capable and resilient support network. They also provide coaching assistance to participants who have faced challenges and create reports about the participant's achieved outcomes.

Support worker vs support coordinator salary

Support workers and support coordinators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Support WorkerSupport Coordinator
Average salary$37,039$41,144
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $60,000Between $29,000 And $56,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYWashington, DC
Highest paying stateNew YorkIllinois
Best paying companyDolby LaboratoriesIBM
Best paying industryManufacturingTechnology

Differences between support worker and support coordinator education

There are a few differences between a support worker and a support coordinator in terms of educational background:

Support WorkerSupport Coordinator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorPsychologyPsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaSUNY at Binghamton

Support worker vs support coordinator demographics

Here are the differences between support workers' and support coordinators' demographics:

Support WorkerSupport Coordinator
Average age4743
Gender ratioMale, 29.1% Female, 70.9%Male, 29.4% Female, 70.6%
Race ratioBlack 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, 12.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 18.2% Asian, 7.2% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage8%11%

Differences between support worker and support coordinator duties and responsibilities

Support worker example responsibilities.

  • Lead support groups with an emphasis on recovery and strength base techniques, DBT, CBT, self-care and coping skills.
  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Develop and implement work plans for TANF customers according to federal requirements.
  • Recognize risk factors quickly, collaborate with interdisciplinary team, nurture positive relationships with patients through consistency and modeling healthy boundaries.
  • Shop for groceries and assist consumer with preparing meals.
  • Compile and update medical information for each individual serve while following HIPPA protocol.
  • Show more

Support coordinator example responsibilities.

  • Manage a high-volume workload including verification of patient's Medicare and Medicaid.
  • Facilitate development of veterans individual rehabilitation plans, which provide purpose, organization and empowerment to achieve life goals.
  • Develop a management reporting system for payroll.
  • Repair and retrieve information from damage SQL databases.
  • Prepare written communications and PowerPoint presentations for executive staff.
  • Enter and save data utilizing SharePoint applications and processes.
  • Show more

Support worker vs support coordinator skills

Common support worker skills
  • Social Work, 18%
  • Crisis Intervention, 7%
  • Treatment Plan, 7%
  • Social Services, 6%
  • Substance Abuse, 5%
  • Foster Care, 5%
Common support coordinator skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Patients, 11%
  • Data Entry, 7%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 5%
  • Social Work, 5%
  • Mental Health, 4%

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