Hospital social worker vs medical social worker

The differences between hospital social workers and medical 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 medical social worker. Additionally, a medical social worker has an average salary of $57,093, 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 medical social worker are social work, patients, and home health.

Hospital social worker vs medical social worker overview

	Hospital Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Yearly salary	$54,774	$57,093
Hourly rate	$26.33	$27.45
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	105,520	87,792
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Master's Degree, 48%
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 medical social worker do?

A medical social worker specializes in managing a patient's health care and welfare while communicating with guardians or families, focusing on helping them cope and understand the medical conditions and situations. They are primarily responsible for assessing a patient's condition to identify their needs, conducting interviews to gather background information regarding the patient and family, and referring any social service programs that may provide them with the assistance or help they need. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify any signs of abuse or neglect and conduct intervention procedures right away.

Hospital social worker vs medical social worker salary

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average salary	$54,774	$57,093
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $77,000	Between $42,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Medical Billing	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between hospital social worker and medical social worker education

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

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

Hospital social worker vs medical social worker demographics

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
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 medical 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.

Medical social worker example responsibilities.

Understand manage care, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Humanize the medical setting for elderly patients by using appropriate compassion in explaining complex information.
Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling and trauma/grief counseling for patients and their families experiencing acute or chronic traumatic events.
Provide hands-on assessment and monitoring of suspect child abuse and neglect cases of children needing intensive rehabilitation and specialize care.
Provide social casework to patients having difficulty in social functioning, primarily as it affects their health and emotional rehabilitation.
Facilitate family counseling, crisis intervention, and assessments of specials population including geriatrics, homeless and substance abusing veterans.

Hospital social worker vs medical 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 medical social worker skills

Social Work, 24%
Patients, 19%
Home Health, 11%
MSW, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 3%

Hospital Social Worker vs. similar jobs

Hospital Social Worker related careers

Hospital Social Worker related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Community and Social Services Industry
Hospital Social Worker
Hospital Social Worker vs Medical Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs