Medical case worker vs psychiatric social worker

The differences between medical case workers and psychiatric 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 psychiatric social worker. Additionally, a psychiatric social worker has an average salary of $59,144, 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 psychiatric social worker are social work, patients, and crisis intervention.

Medical case worker vs psychiatric social worker overview

	Medical Case Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Yearly salary	$40,807	$59,144
Hourly rate	$19.62	$28.43
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	100,095	57,284
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Medical case worker vs psychiatric social worker salary

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

	Medical Case Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Average salary	$40,807	$59,144
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $57,000	Between $43,000 And $79,000
Highest paying City	-	San Mateo, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Highmark
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between medical case worker and psychiatric social worker education

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

	Medical Case Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 43%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Business	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Medical case worker vs psychiatric social worker demographics

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

	Medical Case Worker	Psychiatric Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%	Male, 24.8% Female, 75.2%
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 psychiatric 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.

Psychiatric social worker example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Provide clinical supervision and oversight to MSW intern who provide assessments and treatment.
Participate in weekly hospital social services meetings, weekly individual supervision, and facilitate change strategies for patients.
Guide, mentore, and tutor both BSW and MSW students in internship programs.
Assist individual in developing and practicing the skills define on their psychiatric rehabilitation plans.
Follow patients throughout hospitalization, working closely with attending psychiatrist; involve in family, individual and group treatment.

Medical case worker vs psychiatric 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 psychiatric social worker skills

Social Work, 23%
Patients, 16%
Crisis Intervention, 7%
Rehabilitation, 5%
Discharge Planning, 5%
Mental Health, 4%

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Medical Case Worker
Medical Case Worker vs Psychiatric Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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