Hospice social worker vs clinical social worker

The differences between hospice social workers and clinical 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 hospice social worker and a clinical social worker. Additionally, a clinical social worker has an average salary of $63,056, which is higher than the $52,859 average annual salary of a hospice social worker.

The top three skills for a hospice social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a clinical social worker are social work, patients, and behavioral health.

Hospice social worker vs clinical social worker overview

	Hospice Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Yearly salary	$52,859	$63,056
Hourly rate	$25.41	$30.32
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	110,787	124,816
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Master's Degree, 54%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a hospice social worker do?

A hospice social worker is primarily in charge of providing emotional support and guidance to terminally-ill patients and their families, aiming to give them comfort and assistance in various procedures. Their responsibilities include identifying the needs of patients and their families through visitations or appointments, coordinating with nurses and physicians, and serving as a patient advocate by providing them with spiritual and emotional comfort. Furthermore, as a hospice social worker, it is essential to assist families with the bereavement processes, referring them to other programs as necessary.

What does a clinical social worker do?

A clinical social worker is an individual in social work, which provides help to individuals in need of improving their lives and their well-being. Clinical social workers must work with different individuals to help them address difficulties that they are trying to overcome. To perform counseling services, clinical social workers must take and pass the professional licensure examination. They also help disadvantaged individuals connect to resources and services that they may benefit from.

Hospice social worker vs clinical social worker salary

Hospice social workers and clinical social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hospice Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Average salary	$52,859	$63,056
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $67,000	Between $42,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	-	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Tucson Electric Power
Best paying industry	-	Education

Differences between hospice social worker and clinical social worker education

There are a few differences between a hospice social worker and a clinical social worker in terms of educational background:

	Hospice Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Master's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Hospice social worker vs clinical social worker demographics

Here are the differences between hospice social workers' and clinical social workers' demographics:

	Hospice Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%	Male, 21.7% Female, 78.3%
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 hospice social worker and clinical social worker duties and responsibilities

Hospice social worker example responsibilities.

Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to provide necessary referrals and counseling to achieve establish patient goals.
Provide support, education and compassion to patients and family members.
Assist patients and families with obtaining necessary insurances such as Medicaid, etc.
Provide advocacy and support services to terminally ill patients, families and/or significant others to maximize benefits and limit out-of-pocket expenses.
Work as lead MSW on all pediatric hospice cases.
Work with other members of the IDT to track and document changes to the patient's status, coping, etc.

Clinical social worker example responsibilities.

Understand manage care, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide clinical services to patients in rehabilitation and oncology including assessment, crisis intervention, grief therapy, and discharge planning.
Provide individual, group, family therapy, team coordination, discharge planning, utilization review and MSW student supervision.
Participate in weekly interdisciplinary team meetings to determine Medicare length of skil nursing stay.
Facilitate therapy, symptom management, and rehabilitation groups for mental health clients in partial hospitalization setting.

Hospice social worker vs clinical social worker skills

Common hospice social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Patients, 19%
Home Health, 11%
MSW, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

Common clinical social worker skills

Social Work, 28%
Patients, 17%
Behavioral Health, 6%
Patient Care, 5%
Community Resources, 4%
MSW, 3%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Hospice Social Worker
Hospice Social Worker vs Clinical Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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