All About Healthcare Social Workers
Example of Healthcare Social Worker Job Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family care givers, providing patient education and counseling, and making referrals for other services. May also provide care and case management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
List of Healthcare Social Worker Job Duties
- Supervise and direct other workers providing services to clients or patients.
- Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
- Plan and conduct programs to combat social problems, prevent substance abuse, or improve community health and counseling services.
- Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life.
- Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.
- Conduct social research to advance knowledge in the social work field.
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Things a Healthcare Social Worker Should Know How to Do
Healthcare Social Workers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Types of Healthcare Social Worker Jobs
- Bereavement Counselor
- Referral Coordinator
- Public Health Social Worker
- Family Support Worker
- Social Worker
Job Demand for Healthcare Social Workers
In the United States, there were 176,500 jobs for Healthcare Social Worker in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 20.1% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 35,500 new jobs for Healthcare Social Worker by 2026. The BLS estimates 22,900 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Healthcare Social Worker are Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Rhode Island, Maine, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Do Healthcare Social Workers Make A Lot Of Money?
The average yearly salary of a Healthcare Social Worker ranges between $34,210 and $84,870.

Healthcare Social Workers who work in California, Alaska, or District of Columbia, make the highest salaries.
How much do Healthcare Social Workers make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $47,740 |
Alaska | $70,620 |
Arizona | $62,920 |
Arkansas | $46,310 |
California | $76,450 |
Colorado | $52,150 |
Connecticut | $72,640 |
Delaware | $55,870 |
District of Columbia | $72,090 |
Florida | $50,950 |
Georgia | $53,110 |
Hawaii | $66,210 |
Idaho | $56,080 |
Illinois | $52,830 |
Indiana | $51,710 |
Iowa | $51,360 |
Kansas | $53,580 |
Kentucky | $50,340 |
Louisiana | $53,460 |
Maine | $52,830 |
Maryland | $58,350 |
Massachusetts | $61,960 |
Michigan | $56,830 |
Minnesota | $58,670 |
Mississippi | $48,080 |
Missouri | $46,370 |
Montana | $49,570 |
Nebraska | $48,230 |
Nevada | $82,820 |
New Hampshire | $64,570 |
New Jersey | $64,570 |
New Mexico | $55,490 |
New York | $62,280 |
North Carolina | $54,730 |
North Dakota | $53,300 |
Ohio | $52,910 |
Oklahoma | $48,580 |
Oregon | $70,830 |
Pennsylvania | $53,770 |
Rhode Island | $57,620 |
South Carolina | $57,660 |
South Dakota | $43,350 |
Tennessee | $50,700 |
Texas | $59,090 |
Utah | $63,200 |
Vermont | $57,900 |
Virginia | $57,510 |
Washington | $62,180 |
West Virginia | $49,440 |
Wisconsin | $52,300 |
Wyoming | $57,270 |
What Tools & Technology do Healthcare Social Workers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Healthcare Social Workers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- Microsoft Publisher
- MEDITECH software
- Medical procedure coding software
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Corel WordPerfect
- Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- Relational database software
- Calendar software
- Social Solutions ETO
- Web page design and editing software
Becoming a Healthcare Social Worker
What kind of Healthcare Social Worker requirements are there?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Healthcare Social Workers Are Employed

The table below shows the approximate number of Healthcare Social Workers employed by various industries.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Healthcare Social Worker may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Healthcare Social Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Army Medicine via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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