Patient coordinator vs social worker

The differences between patient coordinators and social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a patient coordinator, 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 $32,954 average annual salary of a patient coordinator.

The top three skills for a patient coordinator include patients, customer service and patient care. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Patient coordinator vs social worker overview

	Patient Coordinator	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$32,954	$50,102
Hourly rate	$15.84	$24.09
Growth rate	-4%	9%
Number of jobs	97,878	77,340
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	40	45
Years of experience	4	2

What does a patient coordinator do?

A patient coordinator functions as the primary point of contact between health care professionals and patients in a medical facility. They mostly perform administrative tasks such as greeting visitors, answering calls, responding to inquiries, managing schedules, arranging appointments, processing payments, gathering information, and keeping records. Moreover, they assist in filling out forms, escorting patients to different rooms or offices, and setting treatment plans. Most importantly, they discuss and share necessary information with patients and families regarding medications, procedures, and proceeding care according to a physician's assessment.

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.

Patient coordinator vs social worker salary

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

	Patient Coordinator	Social Worker
Average salary	$32,954	$50,102
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $41,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Brockton, MA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	Oregon
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between patient coordinator and social worker education

There are a few differences between a patient coordinator and a social worker in terms of educational background:

	Patient Coordinator	Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Patient coordinator vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between patient coordinators' and social workers' demographics:

	Patient Coordinator	Social Worker
Average age	40	45
Gender ratio	Male, 11.2% Female, 88.8%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 25.4% Asian, 6.2% White, 51.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	7%	13%

Differences between patient coordinator and social worker duties and responsibilities

Patient coordinator example responsibilities.

Comply with HIPAA regulations by discreetly and professionally handling all patients private medical information.
Gather personal plus insurance information and perform thorough insurance breakdowns for patients.
Communicate directly with patients to obtain initial patient information and respond to inquiries.
Process and update HIPAA relate paperwork and other require institutional forms as necessary.
Obtain all necessary documentation prior to surgery such as proof of identification, copy of insurance and require insurance referrals.
Respond in writing to all grievances in accordance with CMS and DNV guidelines.

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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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Patient coordinator vs social worker skills

Common patient coordinator skills

Patients, 30%
Customer Service, 11%
Patient Care, 6%
Patient Flow, 5%
Excellent Organizational, 4%
Check-In, 3%

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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