How To Become A Hospital Social Worker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hospital social worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Virginia Schwindt

A hospital social worker is responsible for helping a patient cope with the news or diagnosis of an adverse health condition. They also assist patients and their families with understanding their medical condition and offer options for necessary changes in housing, healthcare, diet, and lifestyle.

Some of the most essential duties of a hospital social worker are patient counseling and education, discharge planning, and patient advocacy. They may also help patients find support groups that will help them cope mentally and emotionally.

Although a master's degree is preferred by some employers, a hospital social worker can qualify with a bachelor's degree in social work or psychology coupled with at least one year of work experience in the industry.

A hospital social worker is expected to have excellent communication skills, be compassionate toward others, and have deep knowledge of adverse medical conditions. They may work in stressful environments, but their career is a rewarding one.

What general advice would you give to a hospital social worker?

Virginia Schwindt

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.

ScoreHospital Social WorkerUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $54,774

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.4

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.60%

Asian 3.32%

Black or African American 19.92%

Hispanic or Latino 12.27%

Unknown 5.43%

White 58.45%

Gender

female 77.14%

male 22.86%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.4

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hospital social worker

Explore hospital social worker education requirements

Most common hospital social worker degrees

Bachelor's

48.0 %

Master's

34.5 %

Associate

7.9 %

Start to develop specific hospital social worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	27.97%
Patients	21.15%
Patient Care	6.69%
MSW	5.55%
Behavioral Health	5.44%

Complete relevant hospital social worker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hospital social workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hospital social worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hospital social worker resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed hospital social worker usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed hospital social worker in most of states. 32 states require hospital social workers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Kansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Master Social Worker
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Certified Social Worker
Hawaii	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Social Worker
Idaho	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Social Workers

Research hospital social worker duties and responsibilities

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide individual therapy, case management, and insurance coverage reviews for individuals undergoing short-term rehabilitation.
Provide orientation, support and information to patients and their families to facilitate active involvement in the rehabilitation environment.
Perform assessments/social history upon admission to better understand the patient's needs and personal circumstances as they relate to their rehabilitation.

Prepare your hospital social worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hospital social worker resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hospital social worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable hospital social worker resume templates

Build a professional hospital social worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hospital social worker resume.