Healthcare Social Workers

Overview

Healthcare Social Workers has a national median salary of $67,880 per year, with +8.5% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

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.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Independence

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• 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.
• Investigate child abuse or neglect cases and take authorized protective action when necessary.
• 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.

Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Getting Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Communicating with People Outside the Organization
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Detailed Work Activities

• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a doctoral or professional degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Doctoral or professional degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a master's degree.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Healthcare Social Workers:

Video Resources