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The differences between hospice social workers and community health counselors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hospice social worker, becoming a community health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hospice social worker has an average salary of $52,859, which is higher than the $43,304 average annual salary of a community health counselor.
The top three skills for a hospice social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a community health counselor are social work, behavioral health, and patients.
| Hospice Social Worker | Community Health Counselor | |
| Yearly salary | $52,859 | $43,304 |
| Hourly rate | $25.41 | $20.82 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 110,787 | 131,804 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
A community health counselor typically provides health and welfare support to the disadvantaged members of a community. Their responsibilities revolve around devising strategies to reach out to community members, coordinating with schools and other institutions, and building positive relationships with the communities that they serve. They may also provide counseling sessions to individuals of all ages, conduct observations and assessments, perform interventions, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect, reporting to the authorities right away. Furthermore, they may refer families or individuals to other social services unit if necessary.
Hospice social workers and community health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hospice Social Worker | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average salary | $52,859 | $43,304 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $67,000 | Between $29,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a hospice social worker and a community health counselor in terms of educational background:
| Hospice Social Worker | Community Health Counselor | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between hospice social workers' and community health counselors' demographics:
| Hospice Social Worker | Community Health Counselor | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2% | Male, 31.4% Female, 68.6% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 3.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 15% |