Social services manager vs director of social services

The differences between social services managers and directors of social services can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a social services manager, becoming a director of social services takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director of social services has an average salary of $56,932, which is higher than the $55,773 average annual salary of a social services manager.

The top three skills for a social services manager include social work, patients and discharge planning. The most important skills for a director of social services are social work, patients, and discharge planning.

Social services manager vs director of social services overview

	Social Services Manager	Director Of Social Services
Yearly salary	$55,773	$56,932
Hourly rate	$26.81	$27.37
Growth rate	12%	12%
Number of jobs	162,185	86,154
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	12	6

What does a social services manager do?

A social services manager is responsible for handling community programs and activities for societal needs. Social services managers coordinate with different local organizations to strategize techniques in building a safe and peaceful environment for the citizens, as well as identifying resources to provide them with their essentials. They also attend community events and meetings to represent the community and propose ideas for community development. A social services manager supervises the program budgeting, as well as reaching out to potential donors and sponsors for funding purposes.

What does a director of social services do?

A director of social services or social services director is an individual who works with the community to identify the suitable programs and services. Social services directors provide overall leadership for certain departments within organizations. Essentially, they take charge of the daily activities of a program or an organization. They perform as social services board secretary and executive officer. In nursing homes, the directors assess patients, develop care plans, and help patients adjust along with their respective families.

Social services manager vs director of social services salary

Social services managers and directors of social services have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Services Manager	Director Of Social Services
Average salary	$55,773	$56,932
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $81,000	Between $40,000 And $80,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Malden, MA
Highest paying state	Nevada	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Cloudflare	Icma-rc
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between social services manager and director of social services education

There are a few differences between a social services manager and a director of social services in terms of educational background:

	Social Services Manager	Director Of Social Services
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	University of Washington

Social services manager vs director of social services demographics

Here are the differences between social services managers' and directors of social services' demographics:

	Social Services Manager	Director Of Social Services
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 20.6% Female, 79.4%	Male, 15.7% Female, 84.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.1%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	11%	14%

Differences between social services manager and director of social services duties and responsibilities

Social services manager example responsibilities.

Manage the MSW staff and coordinate all social service and select patient service activities.
Research community services for patient care and coordinate transportation for patients to external organizations for short and long-term treatment.
Provide case-management for patients in a rehabilitation setting, assisting with referrals to appropriate agencies and resources in their local area.
Assist with Medicaid applications and insurance problems.
Process payroll information in an accurate and timely manner.
Help residents with their advance directives, assist in filing Medicaid applications and file and investigate grievances.

Director of social services example responsibilities.

Transform CRM system from measuring activities to managing business pipeline.
Facilitate weekly or bi-weekly care meeting between patients, family members and staff to discuss physical progress and recommendations post rehabilitation.
Provide educations for families and resident on available community assistance, hospice services, insurance benefits, Medicare and Medicaid education.
Maintain WordPress articles using SEO, article tags, and categories.
Conduct patient family, and staff interviews and ensure relevant MDS sections are complete.
Train in first aid and CPR to help event goers until medical personnel arrive.

Social services manager vs director of social services skills

Common social services manager skills

Social Work, 19%
Patients, 13%
Discharge Planning, 7%
Mental Health, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 6%
Psychosocial Assessments, 4%

Common director of social services skills

Social Work, 21%
Patients, 10%
Discharge Planning, 7%
Mental Health, 5%
Rehabilitation, 4%
Community Resources, 3%

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Social Services Manager
Social Services Manager vs Director Of Social Services

Updated January 8, 2025

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