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-SOC code
21-1022.00 - Preparation Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$67,880
Employment, U.S.187,630
Median hourly wage$32.63
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $46,220 | $56,710 | $67,880 | $82,240 | $100,360 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2,850 | $60,000 | 1.12 |
| Alaska | 480 | $62,000 | 1.22 |
| Arizona | 3,100 | $64,030 | 0.79 |
| Arkansas | 1,250 | $55,640 | 0.80 |
| California | 17,690 | $89,660 | 0.80 |
| Colorado | 3,670 | $63,480 | 1.06 |
| Connecticut | 1,650 | $79,900 | 0.80 |
| Delaware | 780 | $64,620 | 1.34 |
| District of Columbia | 420 | $94,100 | 0.50 |
| Florida | 10,520 | $64,820 | 0.88 |
| Georgia | 6,970 | $62,420 | 1.18 |
| Hawaii | 660 | $85,420 | 0.87 |
| Idaho | 750 | $74,500 | 0.72 |
| Illinois | 4,910 | $64,270 | 0.67 |
| Indiana | 3,890 | $64,580 | 1.01 |
| Iowa | 1,550 | $63,050 | 0.82 |
| Kansas | 1,360 | $64,440 | 0.78 |
| Kentucky | 1,980 | $64,080 | 0.82 |
| Louisiana | 1,970 | $61,080 | 0.84 |
| Maine | 790 | $71,610 | 1.02 |
| Maryland | 4,750 | $76,440 | 1.42 |
| Massachusetts | 7,220 | $76,440 | 1.64 |
| Michigan | 4,860 | $67,600 | 0.91 |
| Minnesota | 2,430 | $73,970 | 0.68 |
| Mississippi | 1,890 | $62,250 | 1.34 |
| Missouri | 4,430 | $59,870 | 1.25 |
| Montana | 840 | $57,090 | 1.35 |
| Nebraska | 980 | $62,420 | 0.80 |
| Nevada | 1,160 | $78,470 | 0.62 |
| New Hampshire | 590 | $78,260 | 0.71 |
| New Jersey | 4,310 | $82,690 | 0.83 |
| New Mexico | 1,200 | $65,930 | 1.14 |
| New York | 20,440 | $73,070 | 1.75 |
| North Carolina | 5,120 | $63,280 | 0.86 |
| North Dakota | 330 | $62,860 | 0.63 |
| Ohio | 8,930 | $63,610 | 1.33 |
| Oklahoma | 2,310 | $56,120 | 1.12 |
| Oregon | 2,320 | $84,350 | 0.98 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,630 | $61,900 | 1.32 |
| Rhode Island | 630 | $75,390 | 1.04 |
| South Carolina | 3,100 | $60,840 | 1.12 |
| South Dakota | 790 | $57,510 | 1.42 |
| Tennessee | 5,970 | $61,240 | 1.51 |
| Texas | 10,880 | $69,990 | 0.64 |
| Utah | 1,750 | $78,150 | 0.84 |
| Vermont | 250 | $81,140 | 0.70 |
| Virginia | 3,070 | $66,550 | 0.62 |
| Washington | 5,180 | $78,570 | 1.21 |
| West Virginia | 1,100 | $60,140 | 1.30 |
| Wisconsin | 3,770 | $66,910 | 1.06 |
| Wyoming | 180 | $62,260 | 0.53 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | 5 | 0.988 |
| 2 | Marriage and Family Therapists | 5 | 0.987 |
| 3 | Mental Health Counselors | 5 | 0.987 |
| 4 | Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | 5 | 0.984 |
| 5 | Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | 5 | 0.983 |
| 6 | Rehabilitation Counselors | 5 | 0.979 |
| 7 | Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 4 | 0.974 |
| 8 | Social and Human Service Assistants | 4 | 0.972 |
| 9 | School Psychologists | 5 | 0.970 |
| 10 | Neuropsychologists | 5 | 0.965 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Healthcare Social Workers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriage and Family Therapists | Systems Analysis | 1.12 | 0.987 |
| Mental Health Counselors | Systems Analysis | 1.00 | 0.987 |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | Systems Analysis | 1.00 | 0.979 |
| Clinical Neuropsychologists | Instructing | 0.88 | 0.960 |
| Occupational Therapists | Instructing | 1.00 | 0.957 |
| Speech-Language Pathologists | Instructing | 1.00 | 0.950 |
| Clergy | Instructing | 1.00 | 0.939 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Healthcare Social Workers, excluding software Healthcare Social Workers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Athena Software Penelope Case Management | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Epic EpicCare Inpatient Clinical System | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| ICANotes | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Scheduling software | 7 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Noldus Information Technology The Observer XT | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Netscape Navigator | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Statistical software | 5 of 20 | 5.8x |
| Electronic medical record EMR software | 4 of 20 | 5.8x |
| eClinicalWorks EHR software | 4 of 20 | 3.8x |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | 4 of 20 | 3.0x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 4.25 | 5.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 4.12 | 4.38 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.25 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.62 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.62 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 4.89 | 6.26 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 4.74 | 6.56 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 4.37 | 4.96 |
| English Language | 4.37 | 4.81 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.93 | 5.81 |
| Education and Training | 3.52 | 4.44 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 3.15 | 4.37 |
| Administrative | 3.04 | 3.37 |
| Law and Government | 2.96 | 3.37 |
| Administration and Management | 2.93 | 3.37 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 2.93 | 2.59 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.70 | 2.93 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.70 | 2.30 |
| Communications and Media | 2.63 | 3.04 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.37 | 3.04 |
| Transportation | 2.27 | 2.30 |
| Biology | 2.22 | 2.22 |
| Foreign Language | 2.15 | 1.85 |
| History and Archeology | 2.11 | 1.81 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.93 | 1.85 |
| Telecommunications | 1.93 | 1.04 |
| Mathematics | 1.85 | 1.85 |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.67 | 1.59 |
| Geography | 1.63 | 1.59 |
| Chemistry | 1.44 | 1.00 |
| Production and Processing | 1.37 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.30 | 0.74 |
| Mechanical | 1.26 | not rated |
| Physics | 1.26 | not rated |
| Engineering and Technology | 1.15 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.15 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.08 | not rated |
| Design | 1.07 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Expression | 4.12 | 4.62 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.88 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.62 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Near Vision | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Selective Attention | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Memorization | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.50 | 2.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Visualization | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Finger Dexterity | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Reaction Time | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Response Orientation | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Stamina | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Static Strength | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.50 | 0.75 |
| Manual Dexterity | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Extent Flexibility | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Control Precision | 1.25 | not rated |
| Depth Perception | 1.25 | not rated |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.25 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.25 | not rated |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 1.00 | not rated |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.00 | not rated |
| Night Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.00 | not rated |
| Rate Control | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sound Localization | 1.00 | not rated |
| Spatial Orientation | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Teams in demand
- Zoom in demand
- Google Meet in demand
- MEDITECH software hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Adobe PageMaker
- Automated clinical information systems
- Calendar software
- Command Systems ComServe
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- Database software
- Email software
- Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS
- Information presentation software
- Intrado SchoolMessenger
- James Frazier Associates DataStart
- Medical procedure coding software
- Medical records software
- Microsoft Publisher
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- Relational database software
- Social Solutions ETO
- Social Work Software ClientTouch
- Web browser software
- Web page design and editing software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glens Falls, NY | 160 | 2.64 | $62,850 |
| Springfield, MA | 600 | 2.49 | $68,150 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 1,090 | 2.43 | $63,080 |
| Kingston, NY | 170 | 2.40 | $75,300 |
| Johnson City, TN | 230 | 2.30 | $52,020 |
| Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | 130 | 2.29 | $51,910 |
| Jackson, TN | 230 | 2.27 | $54,520 |
| Yakima, WA | 250 | 2.18 | $62,640 |
| La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 220 | 2.17 | $62,560 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 560 | 2.10 | $75,070 |