Outreach worker vs social worker

The differences between outreach workers and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an outreach worker, becoming a social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social worker has an average salary of $50,102, which is higher than the $37,639 average annual salary of an outreach worker.

The top three skills for an outreach worker include social work, autism and patients. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Outreach worker vs social worker overview

	Outreach Worker	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$37,639	$50,102
Hourly rate	$18.10	$24.09
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	65,822	77,340
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	12	2

What does an outreach worker do?

An outreach worker is responsible for supporting community events and relief efforts to assist citizens with their needs, providing them resources, and facilitating lifestyle programs. Outreach workers coordinate with participants, suppliers, and sponsors for funding and promotions. They also manage the budgeting and allocation of resources for the programs, ensuring that the activities adhere to the state regulations and community benefits. An outreach worker must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing progress reports and transactions.

What does a social worker do?

Social workers help their clients get through problems that they may be facing. Social workers help identify individuals or groups of people, usually families, who may need assistance, generally through a set of pre-determined criteria. They then determine the best ways to help their clients by interviewing them, getting to know them, and understanding the context of their lives. They create plans that will help their clients become better, such as integrating into a new environment, assisting them in their needs, or even rescuing them from their current place. Social workers have good interpersonal skills and communication skills.

Outreach worker vs social worker salary

Outreach workers and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Outreach Worker	Social Worker
Average salary	$37,639	$50,102
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $49,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	North Dakota	Oregon
Best paying company	Columbia University in the City of New York	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Finance	Government

Differences between outreach worker and social worker education

There are a few differences between an outreach worker and a social worker in terms of educational background:

	Outreach Worker	Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	University of Pennsylvania

Outreach worker vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between outreach workers' and social workers' demographics:

	Outreach Worker	Social Worker
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 30.8% Female, 69.2%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 23.5% Asian, 6.2% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	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	11%	13%

Differences between outreach worker and social worker duties and responsibilities

Outreach worker example responsibilities.

Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
Provide information and referral to patients regarding community resources and needs indicate, and advocate eliminating barriers to care.
Provide resources for the community regarding health care issues and rehabilitation.
Conduct client interviews clients to gather information, assess need, and determine appropriate Medicaid category of eligibility.
Assist patients in application process for medical programs and screen for appropriate medical coverage eligibility available through state programs.
Deliver direct services to children with autism by executing individualize plans, completing necessary documentation and communication effectively with team.

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Social worker example responsibilities.

Assist clients in achieving treatment goals such as anger, ADHD, grief, social skills, and manners.
Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
Support patient questions and issues regarding Medicare ESRD entitlement and Medicaid and assist in the completion of the appropriate documentation.
Coordinate IPU discharge planning patients to SNF, ALF, PCH or in-home care with necessary support for care.
Facilitate relationships with AKF and other patient assistance programs, VA, Medicare, Medicaid and other insurance providers.
Complete Medicaid and Medicare applications as needed.

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Outreach worker vs social worker skills

Common outreach worker skills

Social Work, 13%
Autism, 9%
Patients, 8%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Substance Abuse, 7%
Community Resources, 6%

Common social worker skills

Social Work, 30%
Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 5%
MSW, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Home Health, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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