Social services manager vs social worker

The differences between social services managers and social workers 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 social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social services manager has an average salary of $55,773, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.

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

Social services manager vs social worker overview

	Social Services Manager	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$55,773	$50,102
Hourly rate	$26.81	$24.09
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	162,185	77,340
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	12	2

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 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.

Social services manager vs social worker salary

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

	Social Services Manager	Social Worker
Average salary	$55,773	$50,102
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $81,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	Nevada	Oregon
Best paying company	Cloudflare	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between social services manager and social worker education

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

	Social Services Manager	Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	University of Pennsylvania

Social services manager vs social worker demographics

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

	Social Services Manager	Social Worker
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 20.6% Female, 79.4%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
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, 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	11%	13%

Differences between social services manager and social worker 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.

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.

Social services manager vs social worker skills

Common social services manager skills

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

Common social worker skills

Social Work, 30%
Patients, 15%
Patient Care, 5%
MSW, 4%
Discharge Planning, 4%
Home Health, 4%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Social Services Manager
Social Services Manager vs Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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