Hospice social worker vs family therapist

The differences between hospice social workers and family therapists 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 family therapist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hospice social worker has an average salary of $52,859, which is higher than the $50,774 average annual salary of a family therapist.

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

Hospice social worker vs family therapist overview

	Hospice Social Worker	Family Therapist
Yearly salary	$52,859	$50,774
Hourly rate	$25.41	$24.41
Growth rate	9%	14%
Number of jobs	110,787	106,982
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	2	4

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 family therapist do?

A Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.

Hospice social worker vs family therapist salary

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

	Hospice Social Worker	Family Therapist
Average salary	$52,859	$50,774
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $67,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	-	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Dignity Health
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between hospice social worker and family therapist education

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

	Hospice Social Worker	Family Therapist
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Hospice social worker vs family therapist demographics

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

	Hospice Social Worker	Family Therapist
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%	Male, 25.8% Female, 74.2%
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, 7.0% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	13%	6%

Differences between hospice social worker and family therapist 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.

Family therapist example responsibilities.

Complete documentation to medicaid standards.
Create maximum billable Medicaid hours and submitting necessary paperwork for Medicaid billing.
Apply behavioral analysis instruction for a student with autism concentrating on communication, socialization, self-help skills and community skills.
Receive and process referrals from DCF and community-base case managers for individuals suspect as substance abusers.

Hospice social worker vs family therapist skills

Common hospice social worker skills

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

Common family therapist skills

Social Work, 27%
Patients, 6%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Community Resources, 4%
Mental Health Issues, 4%
Group Therapy, 3%

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Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Hospice Social Worker
Hospice Social Worker vs Family Therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

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