Adoption consultants are responsible for finding and placing orphaned or foster-care children into adopted homes. They also help potential adoptive parents locate adoptee candidates. Adoption consultants may also be referred to as family service workers, case managers, foster care social workers and case workers. These types of social work professionals may work for public child welfare agencies or private agencies. If you are considering pursuing a career as an adoption consultant, your salary will vary based upon your work history, work location and place of employment.
Salary
As of May 2010, the national mean annual wage for child and family social workers was $43,850, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Adoption consultants were included in this group. The 25th percentile earned an average of $32,270 per year, while the 75th percentile made an average annual salary of $52,450. These averages were based on the work location and years of experience.
Industries and Salaries
Adoption consultants earn different salaries based on their work industry. For example, adoption consultants who worked in individual and family services earned an annual mean wage of $37,120 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Adoption consultants who worked for social advocacy organizations earned an average of $36,880 per year. Those who worked for state governments earned annual median salaries of $43,500, while those who worked for local governments made around $49,000 per year.
Top-Paying Locations
Adoption consultants who work in certain parts of the U.S. can earn more than their counterparts in other areas. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, adoption consultants in Minnesota earned an annual mean wage of $55,310 as of May 2010. Those in New Jersey earned an average of $56,420 per year. Adoption consultants in Connecticut made an average of $61,310 per year, while those in Hawaii earned an annual mean wage of $54,340. However, the top-paying location was Rhode Island, where adoption consultants made an annual mean wage of $54,120 per year.
Other Considerations
If you are considering becoming an adoption consultant and want to choose from many different job opportunities, you may want to focus on specific industries that have the highest levels of employment in this position. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, individual and family services had 37,120 employed adoption consultants in May 2010, while local governments had 54,100 workers. According to O-Net OnLine, this profession was projected to grow at an average rate, or between 7 and 13 percent, between 2008 and 2018.
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