Community and social service
Healthcare social worker
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.
Median pay
$67,880
Growth to 2035
+9%
faster than average
Openings a year
16,900
Time to qualify*
4 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Healthcare social worker
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Healthcare social worker: 46% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
- 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.
Also called: Clinical Social Worker · Hospice Social Worker · LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) · Medical Social Worker · Nephrology Social Worker · Oncology Social Worker · Psychosocial Coordinator · Renal Social Worker
Outlook and AI
Healthcare social workers held 194,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 211,300 by 2035 (+9%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Healthcare social worker vs. Mental health and substance abuse social workers
- Healthcare social worker vs. Social worker
- Healthcare social worker vs. Marriage and family therapists
- Healthcare social worker vs. Rehabilitation counselor
- Healthcare social worker vs. Social and human service assistants
- Healthcare social worker vs. Clinical psychologist
- Healthcare social worker vs. Community health worker
- Healthcare social worker vs. Health education specialist