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The differences between nursing home social workers and directors of social work can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a nursing home social worker, becoming a director of social work takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director of social work has an average salary of $65,174, which is higher than the $51,130 average annual salary of a nursing home social worker.
The top three skills for a nursing home social worker include social work, nursing home and care plan. The most important skills for a director of social work are social work, patients, and rehabilitation.
| Nursing Home Social Worker | Director Of Social Work | |
| Yearly salary | $51,130 | $65,174 |
| Hourly rate | $24.58 | $31.33 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 12% |
| Number of jobs | 121,833 | 36,450 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A Nursing Home Social Worker works closely with the residents of a nursing home to identify their various needs and develop adequate assistance strategies. Their responsibilities include: treating the emotional, behavioral conditions and problems, assessing new clients to come up with a treatment plan that addresses determined needs, offer adjustment support for those that lack family support, facilitating group activities that encourage interaction with other residents, and conducting administrative tasks that are crucial to the day to day operations of a nursing facility.
A director of social work oversees and directs the daily operations of social services programs, aiming to provide optimal support services to communities and families. They are primarily in charge of setting organizational goals, managing budgets, establishing protocols and guidelines, liaising with external and internal parties, and developing strategies to optimize operations. They may also work at shelters or care facilities where they are responsible for monitoring the daily operations to ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Moreover, a director of social work leads and empowers staff to reach goals while implementing the organization's policies and regulations.
Nursing home social workers and directors of social work have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nursing Home Social Worker | Director Of Social Work | |
| Average salary | $51,130 | $65,174 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $66,000 | Between $45,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Stanford Health Care |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a nursing home social worker and a director of social work in terms of educational background:
| Nursing Home Social Worker | Director Of Social Work | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Social Work |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Washington |
Here are the differences between nursing home social workers' and directors of social work' demographics:
| Nursing Home Social Worker | Director Of Social Work | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 16.9% Female, 83.1% | Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8% |
| 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, 12.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 14% |