Medical social worker vs social work case manager

The differences between medical social workers and social work case managers 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 social work case manager takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a medical social worker has an average salary of $57,093, which is higher than the $45,321 average annual salary of a social work case manager.

The top three skills for a medical social worker include social work, patients and home health. The most important skills for a social work case manager are social work, patients, and social services.

Medical social worker vs social work case manager overview

	Medical Social Worker	Social Work Case Manager
Yearly salary	$57,093	$45,321
Hourly rate	$27.45	$21.79
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	87,792	49,793
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	45	43
Years of experience	2	12

What does a medical social worker do?

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.

What does a social work case manager do?

A Social Work Case Manager counsels groups or individuals in dealing with chronic illness, loss of a loved one, or substance abuse. They evaluate the needs of each individual client and maintain detailed records of their progress in the healing process.

Medical social worker vs social work case manager salary

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

	Medical Social Worker	Social Work Case Manager
Average salary	$57,093	$45,321
Salary range	Between $42,000 And $77,000	Between $33,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Leandro, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Health Advocates	Tenet Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between medical social worker and social work case manager education

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

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

Medical social worker vs social work case manager demographics

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

	Medical Social Worker	Social Work Case Manager
Average age	45	43
Gender ratio	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%	Male, 19.4% Female, 80.6%
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, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%
LGBT Percentage	13%	11%

Differences between medical social worker and social work case manager duties and responsibilities

Medical social worker example responsibilities.

Understand manage care, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Humanize the medical setting for elderly patients by using appropriate compassion in explaining complex information.
Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling and trauma/grief counseling for patients and their families experiencing acute or chronic traumatic events.
Provide hands-on assessment and monitoring of suspect child abuse and neglect cases of children needing intensive rehabilitation and specialize care.
Provide social casework to patients having difficulty in social functioning, primarily as it affects their health and emotional rehabilitation.
Facilitate family counseling, crisis intervention, and assessments of specials population including geriatrics, homeless and substance abusing veterans.

Social work case manager example responsibilities.

Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
Facilitate resource management by making appropriate referrals to community agencies that help patients remain safe and independent in their home environment.
Review inpatient hospital medical records using InterQual criteria to determine that patient admission meet quality and utilization standards.
Adhere to rules and regulations pertinent to inpatient rehabilitation as defined by Medicare/Medicaid and other licensing and accrediting organizations.
Coordinate and schedule in home physician visits and transportation arrangements for patients to receive medical services in hospitals and clinics.
Respond to high volume telephone and walk-in inquiries regarding long-term placement, government entitlements, rehabilitation, and services provide.

Medical social worker vs social work case manager skills

Common medical social worker skills

Social Work, 24%
Patients, 19%
Home Health, 11%
MSW, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 3%

Common social work case manager skills

Social Work, 38%
Patients, 20%
Social Services, 5%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Acute Care, 4%
Patient Care, 3%

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Medical Social Worker
Medical Social Worker vs Social Work Case Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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