Hospital social worker vs clinical social worker

The differences between hospital 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 hospital social worker and a clinical social worker. Additionally, a clinical social worker has an average salary of $63,056, which is higher than the $54,774 average annual salary of a hospital social worker.

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

Hospital social worker vs clinical social worker overview

	Hospital Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Yearly salary	$54,774	$63,056
Hourly rate	$26.33	$30.32
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	105,520	124,816
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Master's Degree, 54%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

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 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.

Hospital social worker vs clinical social worker salary

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Average salary	$54,774	$63,056
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $77,000	Between $42,000 And $92,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Santa Rosa, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Medical Billing	Tucson Electric Power
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between hospital social worker and clinical social worker education

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Master's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Hospital social worker vs clinical social worker demographics

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Clinical Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	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 hospital social worker and clinical social 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.

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.

Hospital social worker vs clinical social worker skills

Common hospital social worker skills

Social Work, 28%
Patients, 21%
Patient Care, 7%
MSW, 6%
Behavioral Health, 5%
Acute Care, 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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Hospital Social Worker
Hospital Social Worker vs Clinical Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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