Hospital social worker vs community health counselor

The differences between hospital 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 hospital social worker, becoming a community health counselor takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hospital social worker has an average salary of $54,774, which is higher than the $43,304 average annual salary of a community health counselor.

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

Hospital social worker vs community health counselor overview

	Hospital Social Worker	Community Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$54,774	$43,304
Hourly rate	$26.33	$20.82
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	105,520	131,804
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	45	41
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 community health counselor do?

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.

Hospital social worker vs community health counselor salary

Hospital social workers and community health counselors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hospital Social Worker	Community Health Counselor
Average salary	$54,774	$43,304
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $77,000	Between $29,000 And $63,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Medical Billing	Apple
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between hospital social worker and community health counselor education

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Community Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Hospital social worker vs community health counselor demographics

Here are the differences between hospital social workers' and community health counselors' demographics:

	Hospital Social Worker	Community Health Counselor
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	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%

Differences between hospital social worker and community health counselor 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.

Community health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide group and individual therapy along with social service coordination for patients in short term stabilization psychiatric unit.
Train in medication administration, therapeutic holds and CPR.
Maintain cleanliness of home provide assistance with cleaning rooms and common areas.
Train in MNT, TCI, first aide and CPR with several other essential trainings.
Complete insurance verification information for Medicaid participants.
Maintain caseload paperwork in accordance with Georgia Medicaid requirements.

Hospital social worker vs community health counselor skills

Common hospital social worker skills

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

Common community health counselor skills

Social Work, 19%
Behavioral Health, 17%
Patients, 17%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Discharge Planning, 3%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Hospital Social Worker
Hospital Social Worker vs Community Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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