Licensed social worker vs social work supervisor

The differences between licensed social workers and social work supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a licensed social worker, becoming a social work supervisor takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a social work supervisor has an average salary of $62,939, which is higher than the $57,005 average annual salary of a licensed social worker.

The top three skills for a licensed social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a social work supervisor are social work, patients, and MSW.

Licensed social worker vs social work supervisor overview

	Licensed Social Worker	Social Work Supervisor
Yearly salary	$57,005	$62,939
Hourly rate	$27.41	$30.26
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	66,130	93,867
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Master's Degree, 48%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	2	12

What does a licensed social worker do?

Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require. They may assist these people in connecting to agencies that would cater to their needs. Licensed Social Workers also help people cope with their challenges. They are responsible for crafting treatment plans or well-being improvement plans for the individuals they help. They may also be called on during times of crisis to provide emotional support to the individuals involved.

What does a social work supervisor do?

Social work supervisors are licensed professionals who are responsible for providing administrative, clinical, and supportive supervision to inexperienced social workers. These supervisors are required to organize training to help their subordinates to develop their skills and promote career growth. They must respond to the conflicts occurring within the team and promote ethical behaviors among them as well as manage their schedules and expectations. Social work supervisors must also participate in research and studies which required opinion from social work organizations.

Licensed social worker vs social work supervisor salary

Licensed social workers and social work supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Licensed Social Worker	Social Work Supervisor
Average salary	$57,005	$62,939
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $78,000	Between $47,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Sacramento, CA	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	Chaplaincy Health Care
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between licensed social worker and social work supervisor education

There are a few differences between a licensed social worker and a social work supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Licensed Social Worker	Social Work Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Master's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Fullerton

Licensed social worker vs social work supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between licensed social workers' and social work supervisors' demographics:

	Licensed Social Worker	Social Work Supervisor
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9%	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	13%	11%

Differences between licensed social worker and social work supervisor duties and responsibilities

Licensed social worker example responsibilities.

Foster self-determination of patients by evaluating for vocational rehabilitation that includes employment, volunteering, or education opportunities.
Evaluate and provide psychotherapy services to patients diagnose with serious and persistent mental illness and/or chemical dependency within an inpatient setting.
Provide clinical supervision to MSW students.
Supervise and train MSW students during their final concentration practicum.
Plan and facilitate trainings that address trauma exposure and the impact of compassion fatigue on administrative staff.
Provide medically relate social services to residents in a sub-acute, short term rehabilitation unit.

Social work supervisor example responsibilities.

Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
Provide training and weekly supervision to MSW and BSW level staff in the traditional and therapeutic foster care programs.
Provide ongoing adjustment to illness support to patients and families through hospitalization, bereavement counseling, and crisis intervention.
Input data from assessments into the MDS system for submission to Medicare.
Spearhead hospital-wide projects, including roll out of new CMS regulations and forms.
Provide ongoing and current education regarding CMS issues like ABN process and implementation.

Licensed social worker vs social work supervisor skills

Common licensed social worker skills

Social Work, 29%
Patients, 13%
Home Health, 11%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Substance Abuse, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

Common social work supervisor skills

Social Work, 31%
Patients, 6%
MSW, 5%
Child Welfare, 5%
Social Services, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 4%

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Licensed Social Worker
Licensed Social Worker vs Social Work Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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