Crisis worker vs licensed social worker

The differences between crisis workers and licensed social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a crisis worker, becoming a licensed social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a licensed social worker has an average salary of $57,005, which is higher than the $33,805 average annual salary of a crisis worker.

The top three skills for a crisis worker include patients, social work and mental health crisis. The most important skills for a licensed social worker are social work, patients, and home health.

Crisis worker vs licensed social worker overview

	Crisis Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Yearly salary	$33,805	$57,005
Hourly rate	$16.25	$27.41
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	99,201	66,130
Job satisfaction	4	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	4	2

What does a crisis worker do?

A crisis worker is a mental health professional specializing in providing counseling and support services to individuals under emotional distress often caused by mental and behavioral issues, conducting interventions as needed. They are usually assigned in institutions or medical facilities, sometimes working for crisis hotlines where they must answer phone calls from clients, remain calm and rational during conversations, offer advice, and refer them to other support agencies to prevent them from taking drastic measures. A crisis worker engages with clients of all ages, requiring them to be proactive at all times.

What does a licensed social worker do?

Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require. They may assist these people in connecting to agencies that would cater to their needs. Licensed Social Workers also help people cope with their challenges. They are responsible for crafting treatment plans or well-being improvement plans for the individuals they help. They may also be called on during times of crisis to provide emotional support to the individuals involved.

Crisis worker vs licensed social worker salary

Crisis workers and licensed social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Crisis Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Average salary	$33,805	$57,005
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $49,000	Between $41,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	Portland, ME	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Northwestern Medicine	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Health Care

Differences between crisis worker and licensed social worker education

There are a few differences between a crisis worker and a licensed social worker in terms of educational background:

	Crisis Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	University of Pennsylvania

Crisis worker vs licensed social worker demographics

Here are the differences between crisis workers' and licensed social workers' demographics:

	Crisis Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 25.4% Female, 74.6%	Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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%
LGBT Percentage	15%	13%

Differences between crisis worker and licensed social worker duties and responsibilities

Crisis worker example responsibilities.

Find placements for patients needing inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, and provide community referrals to those requiring lower levels of care.
Conduct psychiatric screenings in hospital settings to determine if patients meet the criteria for involuntary/voluntary commitment as mandated by state laws.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Complete MDS assessments to determine mood and cognitive functioning, relaying information to interdisciplinary team and families.

Licensed social worker example responsibilities.

Foster self-determination of patients by evaluating for vocational rehabilitation that includes employment, volunteering, or education opportunities.
Evaluate and provide psychotherapy services to patients diagnose with serious and persistent mental illness and/or chemical dependency within an inpatient setting.
Provide clinical supervision to MSW students.
Supervise and train MSW students during their final concentration practicum.
Plan and facilitate trainings that address trauma exposure and the impact of compassion fatigue on administrative staff.
Provide medically relate social services to residents in a sub-acute, short term rehabilitation unit.

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Crisis worker vs licensed social worker skills

Common crisis worker skills

Patients, 21%
Social Work, 18%
Mental Health Crisis, 5%
Compassion, 5%
CPR, 3%
Rehabilitation, 3%

Common licensed social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Patients, 13%
Home Health, 11%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Substance Abuse, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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