Medical case worker vs licensed social worker

The differences between medical case workers and licensed 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 medical case worker and a licensed social worker. Additionally, a licensed social worker has an average salary of $57,005, which is higher than the $40,807 average annual salary of a medical case worker.

The top three skills for a medical case worker include social work, substance abuse and patient care. The most important skills for a licensed social worker are social work, patients, and home health.

Medical case worker vs licensed social worker overview

	Medical Case Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Yearly salary	$40,807	$57,005
Hourly rate	$19.62	$27.41
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	100,095	66,130
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Medical case worker vs licensed social worker salary

Medical case workers and licensed social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Medical Case Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Average salary	$40,807	$57,005
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $57,000	Between $41,000 And $78,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Favorite Healthcare Staffing
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between medical case worker and licensed social worker education

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

	Medical Case Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Business	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical case worker vs licensed social worker demographics

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

	Medical Case Worker	Licensed Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 16.1% Female, 83.9%
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 medical case worker and licensed social worker duties and responsibilities

Medical case worker example responsibilities.

Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
Provide education to patients and family members on available resources and
Prepare a variety of documentation for communicating important information for patient linkage to external programs and provide detail education to patients.
Work with a complex interdisciplinary team facilitating treatment for patients on medical floors including oncology, dialysis, cardiac and maternity.
Review EOB's for reimbursement accuracy.
Maintain EOB's and various medical records compliant with HIPAA regulations.

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.

Medical case worker vs licensed social worker skills

Common medical case worker skills

Social Work, 12%
Substance Abuse, 11%
Patient Care, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Nursing Home, 7%

Common licensed social worker skills

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

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Medical Case Worker
Medical Case Worker vs Licensed Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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