Hospital social worker vs mental health counselor

The differences between hospital social workers and mental 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 mental 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 $49,471 average annual salary of a mental health counselor.

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

Hospital social worker vs mental health counselor overview

	Hospital Social Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Yearly salary	$54,774	$49,471
Hourly rate	$26.33	$23.78
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	105,520	110,752
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
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 mental health counselor do?

A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.

Hospital social worker vs mental health counselor salary

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Average salary	$54,774	$49,471
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $77,000	Between $34,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Longview, WA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Washington
Best paying company	Medical Billing	Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between hospital social worker and mental health counselor education

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Mental Health Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Long Beach

Hospital social worker vs mental health counselor demographics

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Mental 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 mental 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.

Mental health counselor example responsibilities.

Provide clinical consultation to consumers and clients regarding manage care services and other benefits available to them through their EAP programs.
Conduct group check-in and co-lead group psychotherapy sessions to help clients identify and manage problems associate with psychiatric conditions.
Certify in CPI (crisis intervention technique).
Assist with crisis intervention, (CPI) maintains treatment activities.
Provide mental health assessment and evaluation of detainees refer by facility staff or identify by pre-screening (booking or nursing).
Assess for special needs during booking process.

Hospital social worker vs mental 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 mental health counselor skills

Social Work, 17%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patient Care, 6%
Mental Health Issues, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%

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Hospital Social Worker
Hospital Social Worker vs Mental Health Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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