Occupations · Community and Social Service

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 21-1022.00

$68,090median annual wage, May 2024

185,940people employed, United States

▲ 7.7%projected change, 2024→2034

18,400openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 77% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$77,210	18,860
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$85,770	7,960
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$75,210	5,270
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$74,700	3,950
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$65,930	3,860
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$71,220	3,270
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD	$67,570	3,190
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$73,030	3,120
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$67,330	2,860
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$103,440	2,730
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$82,140	2,700
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$74,590	2,580

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Master's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

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.
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.
Modify treatment plans to comply with changes in clients' status.
Organize support groups or counsel family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, and supporting the client or patient.
Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking4.1

Critical Thinking4.0

Active Listening4.0

Reading Comprehension4.0

Writing3.9

Active Learning3.8

Monitoring3.2

Learning Strategies3.1

Science2.6

Mathematics2.0

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

MEDITECH software●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft Teams●Microsoft Word●Zoom●Adobe PageMakerAutomated clinical information systemsCalendar softwareCommand Systems ComServeCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteDatabase softwareEmail softwareGoogle MeetHealthcare common procedure coding system HCPCSInformation presentation softwareIntrado SchoolMessengerJames Frazier Associates DataStartMedical procedure coding softwareMedical records softwareMicrosoft PublisherPatient electronic medical record EMR softwareRelational database softwareSocial Solutions ETOSocial Work Software ClientTouchWeb browser softwareWeb page design and editing software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

5 / 5Extensive preparation — graduate school, and often a licence on top.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Exposed to Disease or Infections+2.2 above average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−1.7 below average

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate−1.3 below average

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment+1.1 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment−1.1 below average

Conflict Situations+1.0 above average

Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People+1.0 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2021-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Master's Degree70%

Bachelor's Degree15%

Post-Master's Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master's degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.11%

First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.4%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2021-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Social6.9

Investigative4.2

Conventional3.1

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Conduct psychological assessment of clients.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Social Perceptiveness4.2

Service Orientation4.1

Coordination4.0

Complex Problem Solving3.9

Judgment and Decision Making3.6

Persuasion3.2

Systems Evaluation3.1

Management of Personnel Resources3.1

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

PsychologyTherapy and CounselingEnglish LanguageSociology and AnthropologyCustomer and Personal ServiceEducation and Training

Abilities it leans on

Oral ExpressionSpeech ClarityProblem SensitivityDeductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionWritten Comprehension

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

CaseworkerCase WorkerCase ManagerSocial WorkerElder CounselorClient AdvocateFamily AdvocatePatient AdvocateDischarge PlannerAIDS Social WorkerDisability AdvocateGroup Social WorkerHealthcare AdvocateMedical Case Worker

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 9

+Adobe PageMaker+Medical procedure coding software+Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS+Google Meet+Zoom+Intrado SchoolMessenger+Corel WordPerfect Office Suite+MEDITECH software+Microsoft Teams

No longer listed 4

−Spreadsheet software−Word processing software−Corel WordPerfect software−Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

C-SWHCCaseworkerCase WorkerCase ManagerSocial WorkerCase ManagersElder CounselorClient AdvocateFamily AdvocatePatient AdvocateDischarge PlannerCommunity Advocate

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
clinical social worker	2635.3.3	close
hospital social worker	2635.3.16	broader
gerontology social worker	2635.3.14	broader
palliative care social worker	2635.3.20	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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