Social worker vs medical social worker

The differences between social workers and medical social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a social worker and a medical social worker. Additionally, a medical social worker has an average salary of $57,093, which is higher than the $50,102 average annual salary of a social worker.

The top three skills for a social worker include social work, patients and patient care. The most important skills for a medical social worker are social work, patients, and home health.

Social worker vs medical social worker overview

	Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Yearly salary	$50,102	$57,093
Hourly rate	$24.09	$27.45
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	77,340	87,792
Job satisfaction	4.5	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Master's Degree, 48%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

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 medical social worker do?

A medical social worker specializes in managing a patient's health care and welfare while communicating with guardians or families, focusing on helping them cope and understand the medical conditions and situations. They are primarily responsible for assessing a patient's condition to identify their needs, conducting interviews to gather background information regarding the patient and family, and referring any social service programs that may provide them with the assistance or help they need. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify any signs of abuse or neglect and conduct intervention procedures right away.

Social worker vs medical social worker salary

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

	Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average salary	$50,102	$57,093
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $67,000	Between $42,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	Portland, OR	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Alaska
Best paying company	Health Advocates	Health Advocates
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between social worker and medical social worker education

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

	Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Master's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Social worker vs medical social worker demographics

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

	Social Worker	Medical Social Worker
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 19.5% Female, 80.5%	Male, 14.3% Female, 85.7%
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, 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	13%	13%

Differences between social worker and medical social 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.

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Medical social worker example responsibilities.

Understand manage care, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
Humanize the medical setting for elderly patients by using appropriate compassion in explaining complex information.
Provide crisis intervention, supportive counseling and trauma/grief counseling for patients and their families experiencing acute or chronic traumatic events.
Provide hands-on assessment and monitoring of suspect child abuse and neglect cases of children needing intensive rehabilitation and specialize care.
Provide social casework to patients having difficulty in social functioning, primarily as it affects their health and emotional rehabilitation.
Facilitate family counseling, crisis intervention, and assessments of specials population including geriatrics, homeless and substance abusing veterans.

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Social worker vs medical social worker skills

Common social worker skills

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

Common medical social worker skills

Social Work, 24%
Patients, 19%
Home Health, 11%
MSW, 7%
Patient Care, 6%
Crisis Intervention, 3%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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