Health care social worker vs direct care worker

The differences between health care social workers and direct care workers 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 $29,343 average annual salary of a direct care worker.

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 worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.

Health care social worker vs direct care worker overview

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Worker
Yearly salary	$42,237	$29,343
Hourly rate	$20.31	$14.11
Growth rate	9%	36%
Number of jobs	210,979	140,788
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 32%
Average age	45	48
Years of experience	2	-

Health care social worker vs direct care worker salary

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

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Worker
Average salary	$42,237	$29,343
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $56,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	-	Portland, ME
Highest paying state	-	Washington
Best paying company	-	Arizona Training & Evaluation Center
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between health care social worker and direct care worker education

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

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 31%	High School Diploma, 32%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Health care social worker vs direct care worker demographics

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

	Health Care Social Worker	Direct Care Worker
Average age	45	48
Gender ratio	Male, 21.2% Female, 78.8%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 12.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	13%	7%

Differences between health care social worker and direct care worker 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 worker example responsibilities.

Provide caring companionship to elderly and developmentally disable patients with or without chronic health diagnosis.
Assist individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities with ADL's.
Conduct socialization groups to aid individuals in development of ADL and socialization skills.
Prepare daily documents administer medications handle patients hygiene house cleaning and provide transportation to and from appointment
Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Provide day to day services that include transport, nutrition, hygiene, housekeeping and activities to MRDD clients.

Health care social worker vs direct care worker 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 worker skills

Direct Care, 22%
Patients, 11%
CPR, 7%
Developmental Disabilities, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%
Vital Signs, 4%

Health Care Social Worker vs. similar jobs

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

Updated January 8, 2025

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