Senior social worker vs social work case manager

The differences between senior social workers and social work case managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a senior social worker, becoming a social work case manager takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a senior social worker has an average salary of $55,254, which is higher than the $45,321 average annual salary of a social work case manager.

The top three skills for a senior social worker include social work, patients and veterans. The most important skills for a social work case manager are social work, patients, and social services.

Senior social worker vs social work case manager overview

	Senior Social Worker	Social Work Case Manager
Yearly salary	$55,254	$45,321
Hourly rate	$26.56	$21.79
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	103,740	49,793
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	4	12

What does a senior social worker do?

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.

What does a social work case manager do?

A Social Work Case Manager counsels groups or individuals in dealing with chronic illness, loss of a loved one, or substance abuse. They evaluate the needs of each individual client and maintain detailed records of their progress in the healing process.

Senior social worker vs social work case manager salary

Senior social workers and social work case managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Social Worker	Social Work Case Manager
Average salary	$55,254	$45,321
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $75,000	Between $33,000 And $61,000
Highest paying City	Newark, NJ	San Leandro, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	University of California, Berkeley	Tenet Healthcare
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between senior social worker and social work case manager education

There are a few differences between a senior social worker and a social work case manager in terms of educational background:

	Senior Social Worker	Social Work Case Manager
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	Boston College	California State University - Fullerton

Senior social worker vs social work case manager demographics

Here are the differences between senior social workers' and social work case managers' demographics:

	Senior Social Worker	Social Work Case Manager
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 23.1% Female, 76.9%	Male, 19.4% Female, 80.6%
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, 12.9% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.0% Asian, 6.4% White, 55.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%
LGBT Percentage	10%	11%

Differences between senior social worker and social work case manager duties and responsibilities

Senior social worker example responsibilities.

Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
Refer customers to other community agencies such as clinics, employment services, and vocational rehabilitation services.
Facilitate family meetings to provide support and psycho-education to patients and their family members and to discuss discharge planning.
Supervise students in MSW programs and high school programs.
Supervise MSW staff and student-interns in adult alcohol/substance abuse program.
Collaborate with other hospital departments to streamline services for homeless veterans.

Social work case manager example responsibilities.

Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
Facilitate resource management by making appropriate referrals to community agencies that help patients remain safe and independent in their home environment.
Review inpatient hospital medical records using InterQual criteria to determine that patient admission meet quality and utilization standards.
Adhere to rules and regulations pertinent to inpatient rehabilitation as defined by Medicare/Medicaid and other licensing and accrediting organizations.
Coordinate and schedule in home physician visits and transportation arrangements for patients to receive medical services in hospitals and clinics.
Respond to high volume telephone and walk-in inquiries regarding long-term placement, government entitlements, rehabilitation, and services provide.

Senior social worker vs social work case manager skills

Common senior social worker skills

Social Work, 41%
Patients, 11%
Veterans, 4%
Treatment Services, 3%
Patient Care, 3%
Rehabilitation, 3%

Common social work case manager skills

Social Work, 38%
Patients, 20%
Social Services, 5%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Acute Care, 4%
Patient Care, 3%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Senior Social Worker
Senior Social Worker vs Social Work Case Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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