Director of social work vs director of social services

The differences between directors of social work and directors of social services can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of social work and a director of social services. Additionally, a director of social work has an average salary of $65,174, which is higher than the $56,932 average annual salary of a director of social services.

The top three skills for a director of social work include social work, patients and rehabilitation. The most important skills for a director of social services are social work, patients, and discharge planning.

Director of social work vs director of social services overview

	Director Of Social Work	Director Of Social Services
Yearly salary	$65,174	$56,932
Hourly rate	$31.33	$27.37
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	36,450	86,154
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director of social work do?

A director of social work oversees and directs the daily operations of social services programs, aiming to provide optimal support services to communities and families. They are primarily in charge of setting organizational goals, managing budgets, establishing protocols and guidelines, liaising with external and internal parties, and developing strategies to optimize operations. They may also work at shelters or care facilities where they are responsible for monitoring the daily operations to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, a director of social work leads and empowers staff to reach goals while implementing the organization's policies and regulations.

What does a director of social services do?

A director of social services or social services director is an individual who works with the community to identify the suitable programs and services. Social services directors provide overall leadership for certain departments within organizations. Essentially, they take charge of the daily activities of a program or an organization. They perform as social services board secretary and executive officer. In nursing homes, the directors assess patients, develop care plans, and help patients adjust along with their respective families.

Director of social work vs director of social services salary

Directors of social work and directors of social services have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Social Work	Director Of Social Services
Average salary	$65,174	$56,932
Salary range	Between $45,000 And $94,000	Between $40,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Malden, MA
Highest paying state	California	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Stanford Health Care	Icma-rc
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between director of social work and director of social services education

There are a few differences between a director of social work and a director of social services in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Social Work	Director Of Social Services
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Washington	University of Washington

Director of social work vs director of social services demographics

Here are the differences between directors of social work' and directors of social services' demographics:

	Director Of Social Work	Director Of Social Services
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8%	Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	14%	14%

Differences between director of social work and director of social services duties and responsibilities

Director of social work example responsibilities.

Manage projects and ambulatory system initiatives, and collaborate with system leadership teams to ensure EMR alignment with all regulatory requirements.
Discharge planning to home, acute rehabilitation hospitals and diagnosis specific residential facilities.
Work on the sub-acute rehabilitation unit and coordinating discharge planning in a fast pace environment.
Maintain update knowledge of current regulations governing Medicare/ Medicaid and private insurance company reimbursement processes.
Prepared/Conduct evaluations of individuals job performance and skills as they relate to patients, coworkers and customers.
Participate in discharge and aftercare planning for patients and aids patients in seeking therapeutic resources for follow-up in their community environment.

Director of social services example responsibilities.

Transform CRM system from measuring activities to managing business pipeline.
Facilitate weekly or bi-weekly care meeting between patients, family members and staff to discuss physical progress and recommendations post rehabilitation.
Provide educations for families and resident on available community assistance, hospice services, insurance benefits, Medicare and Medicaid education.
Maintain WordPress articles using SEO, article tags, and categories.
Conduct patient family, and staff interviews and ensure relevant MDS sections are complete.
Train in first aid and CPR to help event goers until medical personnel arrive.

Director of social work vs director of social services skills

Common director of social work skills

Social Work, 32%
Patients, 10%
Rehabilitation, 6%
Discharge Planning, 6%
MSW, 4%
Patient Care, 3%

Common director of social services skills

Social Work, 21%
Patients, 10%
Discharge Planning, 7%
Mental Health, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Community Resources, 3%

Director Of Social Work vs. similar jobs

Director Of Social Work related careers

Director Of Social Work related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Executive Management Industry
Director Of Social Work
Director Of Social Work vs Director Of Social Services

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse executive management jobs