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The differences between medical social workers and mental health specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a medical social worker, becoming a mental health specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a medical social worker has an average salary of $57,093, which is higher than the $47,321 average annual salary of a mental health specialist.
The top three skills for a medical social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a mental health specialist are patients, social work, and rehabilitation.
| Medical Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $57,093 | $47,321 |
| Hourly rate | $27.45 | $22.75 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 87,792 | 131,449 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A medical social worker specializes in managing a patient's health care and welfare while communicating with guardians or families, focusing on helping them cope and understand the medical conditions and situations. They are primarily responsible for assessing a patient's condition to identify their needs, conducting interviews to gather background information regarding the patient and family, and referring any social service programs that may provide them with the assistance or help they need. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify any signs of abuse or neglect and conduct intervention procedures right away.
A mental health specialist is responsible for evaluating a patient's mental health condition and develop appropriate treatment plans to help the patients cope up with their mental difficulties. Mental health specialists provide counseling to the patients, listening to their situation, and responding with the utmost consideration. They also create regular progress reports and medical charts to monitor ongoing medication, updating treatment plans as needed. A mental health specialist must have excellent communication and organization skills, helping the patients deal with their mental stress and return to a healthy lifestyle.
Medical social workers and mental health specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average salary | $57,093 | $47,321 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $77,000 | Between $31,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Health Advocates | Research Foundation For Mental Hygiene Inc |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Government |
There are a few differences between a medical social worker and a mental health specialist in terms of educational background:
| Medical Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between medical social workers' and mental health specialists' demographics:
| Medical Social Worker | Mental Health Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7% | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 15% |