Health care social worker vs direct care staffer

The differences between health care social workers and direct care staffers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a health care social worker has an average salary of $42,237, which is higher than the $30,480 average annual salary of a direct care staffer.

The top three skills for a health care social worker include social work, patients and meal preparation. The most important skills for a direct care staffer are mental health, developmental disabilities, and CPR.

Health care social worker vs direct care staffer overview

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Staffer
Yearly salary	$42,237	$30,480
Hourly rate	$20.31	$14.65
Growth rate	9%	36%
Number of jobs	210,979	117,658
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	45	48
Years of experience	2	-

Health care social worker vs direct care staffer salary

Health care social workers and direct care staffers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Staffer
Average salary	$42,237	$30,480
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $56,000	Between $19,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	Salem, OR
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	New York University
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between health care social worker and direct care staffer education

There are a few differences between a health care social worker and a direct care staffer in terms of educational background:

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Staffer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Health care social worker vs direct care staffer demographics

Here are the differences between health care social workers' and direct care staffers' demographics:

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Staffer
Average age	45	48
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 27.5% Female, 72.5%
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, 10.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	13%	7%

Differences between health care social worker and direct care staffer duties and responsibilities

Health care social worker example responsibilities.

Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Assist in coordinating health care benefits with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers.
Work with clients for fill basic home cleaning, cooking, and healthcare needs.
Aid in completion of any forms such as Medicaid, food stamps, etc.
Comply with HIPAA regulations regarding patient privacy and confidentiality.
Discharge planning for those resident under going short-term physical rehabilitation.

Direct care staffer example responsibilities.

Provide and care for highly volatile patients, administering CPI when require.
Train and supervise individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Assist consumers in development and maintenance of adaptive daily living skills.
Maintain client and community safety through appropriate application of CPI NVCI training.
Assist residence with disabilities, by bathing them, feeding and showing compassion.
Work with Kronos (timekeeping system) and making schedules for the DSP.

Health care social worker vs direct care staffer skills

Common health care social worker skills

Social Work, 26%
Patients, 24%
Meal Preparation, 5%
Community Resources, 4%
Patient Care, 4%
Home Health, 4%

Common direct care staffer skills

Mental Health, 14%
Developmental Disabilities, 8%
CPR, 8%
Patients, 6%
Autism, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 5%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Health Care Social Worker
Health Care Social Worker vs Direct Care Staffer

Updated January 8, 2025

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