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Career overview · SOC 21-1022

Healthcare Social Workers

Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.

Also called: Clinical Social Worker · Hospice Social Worker · LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) · Medical Social Worker · Nephrology Social Worker · Oncology Social Worker

Median pay (national)
$68,090
$45,030–$100,870 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
185,940
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+7.7%
~18,400 openings/yr
Typical entry
Master's degree

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for healthcare social workers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $100,870 versus $45,030 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $68,090 leaves roughly 48% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +7.7% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 18,400 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $92,970, +37% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $33,230 — a 180% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Zoom as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
  • Active Learning
  • Monitoring
  • Learning Strategies
  • Science
  • Mathematics

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
  • Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
  • Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
  • Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
  • Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
  • Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan.
  • Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
  • 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.
  • Organize support groups or counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient.

Tools & technology

  • Google Meet
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Zoom
  • MEDITECH software
  • Adobe PageMaker
  • Automated clinical information systems
  • Calendar software
  • Command Systems ComServe
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Database software
  • Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
  • Information presentation software
  • Intrado SchoolMessenger
  • James Frazier Associates DataStart
  • Medical procedure coding software
  • Medical records software

Knowledge areas

  • Psychology
  • Therapy and Counseling
  • Sociology and Anthropology
  • English Language
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Education and Training
  • Philosophy and Theology
  • Administrative