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: AIDS Social Worker, Bereavement Counselor, Case Manager, Case Worker, Caseworker, Certified Health Care Social Worker
Median pay
$67,880
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$46,220 – $100,360
People employed
187,630
Holland code
SIC
Social · Investigative · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you want variety, with new tasks often?
- 2.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 3.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 4.Do you want a job with little physical risk?
- 5.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
The hard parts
- Tight deadlines are common
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Dealing with conflict is part of the job
Healthcare Social Workers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (50 states and DC with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What healthcare social workers do
- 01Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
- 02Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
- 03Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- 04Investigate child abuse or neglect cases and take authorized protective action when necessary.
- 05Refer 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.
- 06Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
Skills that matter most
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles that stand out
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Social Orientation
- Self-Control
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a graduate degree (O*NET Job Zone 5).
- Related work experience: over 1 year, up to and including 2 years.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from healthcare social workers
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses84% · group pay
- Occupational Therapists84% · +48%
- Clinical Nurse Specialists83% · group pay
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary81% · +14%
- Recreational Therapists80% · −9%
Change into healthcare social workers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Clergy81% · $60,810
- Clinical and Counseling Psychologists81% · $100,580
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses80% · $97,550
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary80% · $77,570
- Art Therapists79% · $77,930
Majors that lead here
- Thanatology
- Social Work
- Forensic Social Work
- Social Work, Other
- Clinical/Medical Social Work
- Medical Family Therapy/Therapist
- Hospice and Palliative Care
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.