Hospital social worker vs service counselor

The differences between hospital social workers and service 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 service counselor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a hospital social worker has an average salary of $54,774, which is higher than the $35,402 average annual salary of a service counselor.

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

Hospital social worker vs service counselor overview

	Hospital Social Worker	Service Counselor
Yearly salary	$54,774	$35,402
Hourly rate	$26.33	$17.02
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	105,520	44,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	2	12

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 service counselor do?

Service counselors provide guidance to couples, individuals, groups, and families who are going through issues that influence their well-being and mental health. They comprehensively approach their clients by utilizing a "wellness" model that focuses on and motivate the client's potentials. Their duties include inspiring clients to talk about their emotions and experiences, helping them determine their action plans and goals, as well as designing therapeutic methods. Also, they may refer their clients to other services or psychologists.

Hospital social worker vs service counselor salary

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Service Counselor
Average salary	$54,774	$35,402
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $77,000	Between $24,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Santa Rosa, CA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	Alaska	Hawaii
Best paying company	Medical Billing	Google
Best paying industry	Health Care	Education

Differences between hospital social worker and service counselor education

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Service Counselor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	SUNY at Binghamton

Hospital social worker vs service counselor demographics

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

	Hospital Social Worker	Service Counselor
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 7.1% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.6%
LGBT Percentage	13%	11%

Differences between hospital social worker and service 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.

Service counselor example responsibilities.

Develop contracting strategy to build capacity and achieve ongoing compliance with Medicare and Medicaid provider network adequacy requirements.
Implement patient financial services department to assist patients and family members to ensure successful patient representation and expeditious benefit recovery.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

Hospital social worker vs service counselor skills

Common hospital social worker skills

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

Common service counselor skills

Social Work, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Patients, 7%
Support Services, 6%
Social Services, 6%
Rehabilitation, 6%

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Hospital Social Worker
Hospital Social Worker vs Service Counselor

Updated January 8, 2025

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