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The differences between therapeutic support staff and school social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a therapeutic support staff, becoming a school social worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a school social worker has an average salary of $54,856, which is higher than the $34,086 average annual salary of a therapeutic support staff.
The top three skills for a therapeutic support staff include autism, social work and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a school social worker are social work, social emotional, and IEP.
| Therapeutic Support Staff | School Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $34,086 | $54,856 |
| Hourly rate | $16.39 | $26.37 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 192,172 | 122,376 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A therapeutic support staff member specializes in providing guidance and counseling to individuals with emotional support needs, mainly children. They are primarily responsible for building rapport with clients while assessing their different conditions and needs. Through this assessment, therapeutic support staff can develop specific treatments in collaboration with mental health practitioners. One may directly work with schools, clinics, and other medical health facilities. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain all clients' records and monitor their progress, regularly updating the assigned physician or caseworker.
A school social worker specializes in counseling students, families, and faculty members. They are responsible for coordinating with the school to develop programs that prioritize the students' emotional and psychological well-being, respond to any issues and concerns, build rapport to identify their needs, and communicate with support services to provide necessary assistance to any students or families. There are also instances when a school social worker must assist teachers in handling students with behavioral issues, investigating the underlying reasons. Moreover, it is crucial to identify any signs of neglect or abuse, conducting interventive measures right away.
Therapeutic support staff and school social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Therapeutic Support Staff | School Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $34,086 | $54,856 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $42,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Boston Public Schools |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a therapeutic support staff and a school social worker in terms of educational background:
| Therapeutic Support Staff | School Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Social Work |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Boston College |
Here are the differences between therapeutic support staff' and school social workers' demographics:
| Therapeutic Support Staff | School Social Worker | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6% | Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 5.5% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.9% | 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 | 11% | 10% |