Hospital social worker vs case worker

The differences between hospital social workers and case workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hospital social worker, becoming a case worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hospital social worker has an average salary of $54,774, which is higher than the $41,459 average annual salary of a case worker.

The top three skills for a hospital social worker include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a case worker are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Hospital social worker vs case worker overview

	Hospital Social Worker	Case Worker
Yearly salary	$54,774	$41,459
Hourly rate	$26.33	$19.93
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	105,520	107,329
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	45	42
Years of experience	2	4

What does a hospital social worker do?

The job of a hospital social worker is one that constantly puts them in the limelight. They perform duties to help patients as they navigate the process of being sick and hospitalized. They assist patients in dealing with the effects of hospitalization. They function as the middleman between patients and the hospital staff. They must also connect patients to much-needed services and assist with coordinating insurance reimbursements.

What does a case worker do?

Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.

Hospital social worker vs case worker salary

Hospital social workers and case workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hospital Social Worker	Case Worker
Average salary	$54,774	$41,459
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $77,000	Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Alaska	New Jersey
Best paying company	Medical Billing	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between hospital social worker and case worker education

There are a few differences between a hospital social worker and a case worker in terms of educational background:

	Hospital Social Worker	Case Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Hospital social worker vs case worker demographics

Here are the differences between hospital social workers' and case workers' demographics:

	Hospital Social Worker	Case Worker
Average age	45	42
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
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, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	13%	10%

Differences between hospital social worker and case worker duties and responsibilities

Hospital social worker example 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.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Analyze psychological / psycho-social evaluations, IEP's, and medical histories within a referral packet to determine eligibility.

Case worker example responsibilities.

Establish collaborative relationships with patients within a supportive atmosphere to assist in confronting drug relate behavior and achieving sobriety.
Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
File, close and maintain records in either physical case file or on ETO.
Train new employees and assign tasks in driving and all responsibilities in DCS documentations.
Provide weekly face to face updates to youth and telephonic updates to family members/sponsor with documentation find in ETO.
Facilitate DCS court order supervised visitation during the reunification process.

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Hospital social worker vs case worker skills

Common hospital social worker skills

Social Work, 28%
Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 7%
MSW, 6%
Behavioral Health, 5%
Acute Care, 4%

Common case worker skills

Social Work, 20%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Patients, 7%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Community Resources, 6%
Child Abuse, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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