Pediatric social worker vs medical social worker

The differences between pediatric social workers and medical social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a pediatric social worker and a medical social worker. Additionally, a pediatric social worker has an average salary of $58,039, which is higher than the $57,093 average annual salary of a medical social worker.

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

Pediatric social worker vs medical social worker overview

	Pediatric Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Yearly salary	$58,039	$57,093
Hourly rate	$27.90	$27.45
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	58,217	87,792
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Master's Degree, 48%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

What does a pediatric social worker do?

A pediatric social worker assists sick children and their families in the treatment and management of chronic conditions or illnesses. This role requires one to specialize in an area of pediatric care such as oncology, burns, etc. As a pediatric social worker, you must be ready to take up inpatient and outpatient responsibilities to advise and link your clients with the needed resources. They also offer emotional support, liaise with medical staff, and coordinate the child's care.

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.

Pediatric social worker vs medical social worker salary

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

	Pediatric Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average salary	$58,039	$57,093
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $80,000	Between $42,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between pediatric social worker and medical social worker education

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

	Pediatric Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Master's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Pediatric social worker vs medical social worker demographics

Here are the differences between pediatric social workers' and medical social workers' demographics:

	Pediatric Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 13.8% Female, 86.2%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
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, 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	13%	13%

Differences between pediatric social worker and medical social worker duties and responsibilities

Pediatric social worker example responsibilities.

Screen, identify, diagnose using DSM nomenclature, treat and manage mental health and/or substance abuse problems.
Monitor high risk neonatal pediatric hospital patients recently discharge, ensuring proper follow-up and clinical management.
Develop a plan for intervention that are consistent with the social/emotional/physical needs of patients and caregivers.
Perform advocacy and referral services to other social service agencies which include alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs.
Coordinate care with community providers for follow up if patient are discharged, prepare documentation for admission to inpatient psychiatry unit.
Analyze psychological / psycho-social evaluations, IEP's, and medical histories within a referral packet to determine eligibility.

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.

Pediatric social worker vs medical social worker skills

Common pediatric social worker skills

Social Work, 33%
Patients, 24%
Mental Health, 7%
Patient Care, 7%
MSW, 7%
Family Therapy, 2%

Common medical social worker skills

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

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Pediatric Social Worker
Pediatric Social Worker vs Medical Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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