Careers · Explore one path
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.
Other titles employers use
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
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and organizing work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Speaking
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Sociology and Anthropology
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
Useful strengths
- Oral Expression
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.9 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 2.5 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 5.0 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 1.6 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a master's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A master's degree 70%
- A four-year degree 15%
- A doctorate or professional degree 15%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Medical software
- Office suite software
- Video conferencing software
- Presentation software
- Spreadsheet software
- Project management software
- Word processing software
- Data base user interface and query software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 31,050
- Job openings each year
- 630
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 25.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 31,050 | 630 | 25.3% |
| California | 23,100 | 2,140 | 17.9% |
| Texas | 13,960 | 1,280 | 14.7% |
| Florida | 13,200 | 1,210 | 15.5% |
| Ohio | 8,060 | 700 | 6.1% |
| Tennessee | 7,620 | 720 | 22.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 7,000 | 620 | 7.4% |
| Georgia | 6,370 | 580 | 15.0% |
| Michigan | 6,340 | 560 | 8.2% |
| Missouri | 6,260 | 560 | 10.6% |
| Washington | 5,320 | 540 | 12.5% |
| Indiana | 5,070 | 460 | 11.2% |
| Maryland | 5,000 | 450 | 11.9% |
| Illinois | 4,910 | 430 | 4.7% |
| Arizona | 4,570 | 440 | 26.2% |
| Colorado | 4,350 | 400 | 18.2% |
| Wisconsin | 4,160 | 360 | 3.7% |
| North Carolina | 4,080 | 380 | 16.6% |
| Virginia | 3,560 | 320 | 11.9% |
| New Jersey | 3,470 | 310 | 9.1% |
| Oklahoma | 3,370 | 300 | 8.7% |
| Massachusetts | 3,160 | 280 | 9.7% |
| Minnesota | 2,930 | 260 | 5.8% |
| South Carolina | 2,660 | 250 | 21.5% |
| Alabama | 2,610 | 230 | 7.0% |
| Utah | 2,450 | 240 | 26.9% |
| Oregon | 2,260 | 210 | 14.1% |
| Connecticut | 2,080 | 190 | 9.5% |
| Louisiana | 1,940 | 170 | 10.2% |
| Kentucky | 1,880 | 170 | 9.3% |
| Kansas | 1,750 | 160 | 8.7% |
| Nevada | 1,520 | 140 | 11.8% |
| Mississippi | 1,480 | 130 | 11.3% |
| Iowa | 1,430 | 130 | 16.3% |
| Puerto Rico | 1,310 | 120 | 19.1% |
| West Virginia | 1,290 | 120 | 11.2% |
| Arkansas | 1,230 | 110 | 11.8% |
| Nebraska | 970 | 90 | 10.2% |
| New Mexico | 940 | 90 | 22.1% |
| Montana | 800 | 80 | 19.4% |
| Delaware | 720 | 70 | 12.5% |
| Rhode Island | 720 | 60 | 10.8% |
| South Dakota | 720 | 60 | 9.1% |
| Idaho | 660 | 60 | 22.2% |
| New Hampshire | 640 | 60 | 6.7% |
| Vermont | 510 | 50 | 10.9% |
| Maine | 500 | 40 | 4.2% |
| North Dakota | 380 | 30 | 8.6% |
| Alaska | 360 | 30 | 12.5% |
| Wyoming | 290 | 30 | 16.0% |
| Guam | 70 | 10 | — |
| Virgin Islands | 40 | 0 | −20.0% |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
James Madison University
- Degrees each year
- 459
- Admit rate
- 76%
- Annual cost after aid
- $16,000
California State University-Los Angeles
- Degrees each year
- 279
- Admit rate
- 92%
- Annual cost after aid
- $5,000
Liberty University
- Degrees each year
- 231
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $27,000
California State University-Sacramento
- Degrees each year
- 186
- Admit rate
- 94%
- Annual cost after aid
- $9,000
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Degrees each year
- 186
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
- Degrees each year
- 183
- Admit rate
- 90%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
The University of Texas at Arlington
- Degrees each year
- 182
- Admit rate
- 81%
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Aurora University
- Degrees each year
- 175
- Admit rate
- 85%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000