Healthcare Social Worker: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

Median pay

$67,880

BLS May 2025

Employed in the U.S.

187,630

BLS May 2025

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

extensive preparation

Most common education

Master's Degree

70% of workers

1. Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
2. Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
3. Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
4. Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
5. Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan.
6. Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
7. Counsel clients and patients in individual and group sessions to help them overcome dependencies, recover from illness, and adjust to life.
8. Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.

Telework available

44.1%

of workers had the ability to telework

Workday sitting

69.5%

mean share of the day required to sit

Most common strength level

Sedentary

56.4% of workers

Can pause work

83.3%

of workers could take short, unscheduled breaks

Self-paced workload

41.6%

of workers set their own workload

Employer-changed schedules

23.5%

of workers had schedules changed by the employer week to week

On TryHired lists: Remote careers.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey. Estimates are preliminary; ranges are shown as published.

1. Hospitals; state, local, and private29.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $81,390
2. Ambulatory healthcare services27.8% of all jobs in this occupation · +15.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $73,370
3. Social assistance12.7% of all jobs in this occupation · +15.7% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $59,680
4. Nursing and residential care facilities11.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +0.7% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $61,390
5. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals6.3% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $67,180
6. Insurance carriers and related activities4.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +5.8% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $77,270

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Knowledge areas: Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, Sociology and Anthropology, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training.

• MEDITECH softwareMedical softwareHot technology
• Adobe PageMakerDesktop publishing software
• Automated clinical information systemsMedical software
• Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSMedical software
• Intrado SchoolMessengerMobile messaging service software
• James Frazier Associates DataStartMedical software
• Medical procedure coding softwareMedical software
• Medical records softwareMedical software
• Microsoft PublisherDesktop publishing software
• Patient electronic medical record EMR softwareMedical software
• Social Solutions ETOMedical software
• Social Work Software ClientTouchMedical software

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