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The differences between senior social workers and case managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior social worker and a case manager. Additionally, a senior social worker has an average salary of $55,254, which is higher than the $43,118 average annual salary of a case manager.
The top three skills for a senior social worker include social work, patients and veterans. The most important skills for a case manager are social work, patients, and community resources.
| Senior Social Worker | Case Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $55,254 | $43,118 |
| Hourly rate | $26.56 | $20.73 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 103,740 | 84,959 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.5 |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior social worker is in charge of overseeing the support services conducted in a community or a particular area. Their responsibilities often revolve around coordinating different social workers, handling issues or concerns, managing schedules, and performing support tasks for other staff when necessary. They also perform welfare checks on families, provide referrals to other support agencies, conduct interviews and counseling, and identify any signs of abuse or neglect. Furthermore, as a senior social worker, it is essential to lead and mentor junior social workers, all while adhering to the agency's policies and regulations.
A case manager is responsible for giving advice, handling plans for the client's recovery, and connecting with other human service professionals to ask for further options and recommendations for the client's concerns. Case managers should have excellent communication and listening skills to evaluate the client's needs, ensuring that they will have the utmost care and safety through efficient advocacy. A case manager should be able to provide a reliable support system for the client and monitor progress to achieve wellness and guarantee satisfaction.
Senior social workers and case managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Social Worker | Case Manager | |
| Average salary | $55,254 | $43,118 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $75,000 | Between $30,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | University of California, Berkeley | Wellpath |
| Best paying industry | Government | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a senior social worker and a case manager in terms of educational background:
| Senior Social Worker | Case Manager | |
| Most common degree | Master's Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Social Work | Psychology |
| Most common college | Boston College | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between senior social workers' and case managers' demographics:
| Senior Social Worker | Case Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 23.1% Female, 76.9% | Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 3.1% White, 74.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 15% |