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The differences between dialysis social workers and psychiatric social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a dialysis social worker and a psychiatric social worker. Additionally, a psychiatric social worker has an average salary of $59,144, which is higher than the $52,616 average annual salary of a dialysis social worker.
The top three skills for a dialysis social worker include social work, patients and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a psychiatric social worker are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.
| Dialysis Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $52,616 | $59,144 |
| Hourly rate | $25.30 | $28.43 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 100,651 | 57,284 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A dialysis social worker supports patients undergoing dialysis, educating and helping them cope with the changes brought by their disease and treatment. They conduct initial interviews and assessments to identify the patients' needs and develop plans to meet them, help patients understand and navigate through the healthcare system, coordinate services for the patients, and work together with healthcare providers to ensure the patients get to receive optimal care. They may also communicate with insurance providers and coordinate with families to help them adjust to having a loved one in dialysis.
A psychiatric social worker specializes in providing mental health treatments and other services to patients and their families, referring them to other agencies and programs as needed. They conduct assessments and interviews to determine the condition of patients, devise specific treatment and care plans, update and maintain patient records, conduct regular counseling sessions, and monitor the progress of every patient to ensure their health and welfare. They may also provide interventions, train junior psychiatric social workers, and conduct reviews and evaluations on existing care plans.
Dialysis social workers and psychiatric social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Dialysis Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Average salary | $52,616 | $59,144 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $69,000 | Between $43,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Highmark |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a dialysis social worker and a psychiatric social worker in terms of educational background:
| Dialysis Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 59% | Master's Degree, 51% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between dialysis social workers' and psychiatric social workers' demographics:
| Dialysis Social Worker | Psychiatric Social Worker | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 18.5% Female, 81.5% | Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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 | 13% | 13% |