Geriatric social worker vs psychiatric social worker

The differences between geriatric 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 geriatric social worker and a psychiatric social worker. Additionally, a psychiatric social worker has an average salary of $59,144, 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 psychiatric social worker are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Geriatric social worker vs psychiatric social worker overview

	Geriatric Social Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Yearly salary	$53,890	$59,144
Hourly rate	$25.91	$28.43
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	43,835	57,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Geriatric social worker vs psychiatric social worker salary

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

	Geriatric Social Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Average salary	$53,890	$59,144
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $71,000	Between $43,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	-	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Highmark
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between geriatric social worker and psychiatric social worker education

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

	Geriatric Social Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 54%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Geriatric social worker vs psychiatric social worker demographics

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

	Geriatric Social Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 14.8% Female, 85.2%	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%

Differences between geriatric social worker and psychiatric 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.

Psychiatric social worker example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide clinical supervision and oversight to MSW intern who provide assessments and treatment.
Participate in weekly hospital social services meetings, weekly individual supervision, and facilitate change strategies for patients.
Guide, mentore, and tutor both BSW and MSW students in internship programs.
Assist individual in developing and practicing the skills define on their psychiatric rehabilitation plans.
Follow patients throughout hospitalization, working closely with attending psychiatrist; involve in family, individual and group treatment.

Geriatric social worker vs psychiatric 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 psychiatric social worker skills

Social Work, 23%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Discharge Planning, 5%
Mental Health, 4%

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Geriatric Social Worker
Geriatric Social Worker vs Psychiatric Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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