Social work supervisor vs social worker

The differences between social work supervisors 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 work supervisor, becoming a social worker takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a social work supervisor has an average salary of $62,939, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.

The top three skills for a social work supervisor include social work, patients and MSW. The most important skills for a social worker are social work, patients, and patient care.

Social work supervisor vs social worker overview

	Social Work Supervisor	Social Worker
Yearly salary	$62,939	$50,102
Hourly rate	$30.26	$24.09
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	93,867	77,340
Job satisfaction	-	4.5
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	43	45
Years of experience	12	2

What does a social work supervisor do?

Social work supervisors are licensed professionals who are responsible for providing administrative, clinical, and supportive supervision to inexperienced social workers. These supervisors are required to organize training to help their subordinates to develop their skills and promote career growth. They must respond to the conflicts occurring within the team and promote ethical behaviors among them as well as manage their schedules and expectations. Social work supervisors must also participate in research and studies which required opinion from social work organizations.

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 work supervisor vs social worker salary

Social work supervisors and social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Work Supervisor	Social Worker
Average salary	$62,939	$50,102
Salary range	Between $47,000 And $83,000	Between $37,000 And $67,000
Highest paying City	San Mateo, CA	Portland, OR
Highest paying state	California	Oregon
Best paying company	Chaplaincy Health Care	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Government	Government

Differences between social work supervisor and social worker education

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

	Social Work Supervisor	Social Worker
Most common degree	Master's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Fullerton	University of Pennsylvania

Social work supervisor vs social worker demographics

Here are the differences between social work supervisors' and social workers' demographics:

	Social Work Supervisor	Social Worker
Average age	43	45
Gender ratio	Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.9% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 6.3% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%	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 work supervisor and social worker duties and responsibilities

Social work supervisor example responsibilities.

Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
Provide training and weekly supervision to MSW and BSW level staff in the traditional and therapeutic foster care programs.
Provide ongoing adjustment to illness support to patients and families through hospitalization, bereavement counseling, and crisis intervention.
Input data from assessments into the MDS system for submission to Medicare.
Spearhead hospital-wide projects, including roll out of new CMS regulations and forms.
Provide ongoing and current education regarding CMS issues like ABN process and implementation.

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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.

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Social work supervisor vs social worker skills

Common social work supervisor skills

Social Work, 31%
Patients, 6%
MSW, 5%
Child Welfare, 5%
Social Services, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 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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Updated January 8, 2025

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