Geriatric social worker vs hospital social worker

The differences between geriatric social workers and hospital 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 geriatric social worker and a hospital social worker. Additionally, a hospital social worker has an average salary of $54,774, which is higher than the $53,890 average annual salary of a geriatric social worker.

The top three skills for a geriatric social worker include social work, patients and discharge planning. The most important skills for a hospital social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Geriatric social worker vs hospital social worker overview

	Geriatric Social Worker	Hospital Social Worker
Yearly salary	$53,890	$54,774
Hourly rate	$25.91	$26.33
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	43,835	105,520
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Geriatric social worker vs hospital social worker salary

Geriatric social workers and hospital social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Geriatric Social Worker	Hospital Social Worker
Average salary	$53,890	$54,774
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $71,000	Between $38,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Medical Billing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between geriatric social worker and hospital social worker education

There are a few differences between a geriatric social worker and a hospital social worker in terms of educational background:

	Geriatric Social Worker	Hospital Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Geriatric social worker vs hospital social worker demographics

Here are the differences between geriatric social workers' and hospital social workers' demographics:

	Geriatric Social Worker	Hospital Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%
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%

Differences between geriatric social worker and hospital social worker duties and responsibilities

Geriatric social worker example responsibilities.

Counsele patients and families, provide discharge planning and follow-up services and maintain relevant information regarding ancillary services and referrals.
Work with relatives of hospitalize patients to accept and cope with patients physical and mental challenges resulting from hospitalization.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.

Hospital social worker example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide individual therapy, case management, and insurance coverage reviews for individuals undergoing short-term rehabilitation.
Provide orientation, support and information to patients and their families to facilitate active involvement in the rehabilitation environment.
Perform assessments/social history upon admission to better understand the patient's needs and personal circumstances as they relate to their rehabilitation.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Analyze psychological / psycho-social evaluations, IEP's, and medical histories within a referral packet to determine eligibility.

Geriatric social worker vs hospital social worker skills

Common geriatric social worker skills

Social Work, 33%
Patients, 23%
Discharge Planning, 11%
Community Resources, 10%
Group Therapy, 5%
Home Health, 2%

Common hospital social worker skills

Social Work, 28%
Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 7%
MSW, 6%
Behavioral Health, 5%
Acute Care, 4%

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Geriatric Social Worker
Geriatric Social Worker vs Hospital Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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