Social worker vs case worker

The differences between social workers and case workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a social worker, becoming a case worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a social worker has an average salary of $50,102, which is higher than the $41,459 average annual salary of a case worker.

The top three skills for a social worker include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a case worker are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Social worker vs case worker overview

	Social Worker	Case Worker
Yearly salary	$50,102	$41,459
Hourly rate	$24.09	$19.93
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	77,340	107,329
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	45	42
Years of experience	2	4

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.

What does a case worker do?

Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.

Social worker vs case worker salary

Social workers and case workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Social Worker	Case Worker
Average salary	$50,102	$41,459
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $67,000	Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	Portland, OR	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Oregon	New Jersey
Best paying company	Health Advocates	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	Government	Education

Differences between social worker and case worker education

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

	Social Worker	Case Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Social worker vs case worker demographics

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

	Social Worker	Case Worker
Average age	45	42
Gender ratio	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
Race ratio	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%	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%
LGBT Percentage	13%	10%

Differences between social worker and case worker duties and responsibilities

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.

Show more

Case worker example responsibilities.

Establish collaborative relationships with patients within a supportive atmosphere to assist in confronting drug relate behavior and achieving sobriety.
Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
File, close and maintain records in either physical case file or on ETO.
Train new employees and assign tasks in driving and all responsibilities in DCS documentations.
Provide weekly face to face updates to youth and telephonic updates to family members/sponsor with documentation find in ETO.
Facilitate DCS court order supervised visitation during the reunification process.

Show more

Social worker vs case worker skills

Common social worker skills

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

Common case worker skills

Social Work, 20%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Patients, 7%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Community Resources, 6%
Child Abuse, 5%

Social Worker vs. similar jobs

Social Worker related careers

Social Worker related jobs

Social Worker jobs by location

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse community and social services jobs

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z