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Healthcare Social Workers in Massachusetts

Healthcare Social Workers in Massachusetts

Thinking about a career as a Healthcare Social Workers in Massachusetts? Here’s what you need to know. 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.

What do Healthcare Social Workers Make in Massachusetts?

For healthcare social workers working in Massachusetts, the median annual wage is $72,280 per year (or about $34.75/hour).Annual wages span from $51,040 at the 10th percentile to $100,670 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic Annual Hourly
10th percentile $51,040 $24.54
25th percentile $58,910 $28.32
Median (50th) $72,280 $34.75
75th percentile $88,300 $42.45
90th percentile $100,670 $48.40
Salary ranges for Healthcare Social Workers in Massachusetts

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in Massachusetts nationwide is 1.72, meaning that healthcare social workers are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, healthcare social workers earn a median of $78,044 per year ($37.52/hour), lower than the Massachusetts median.

Healthcare Social Workers earnings in Massachusetts vs. the national average

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 224,465 healthcare social workers nationwide. In Massachusetts alone, around 7,540 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 2,010 healthcare social workers.

Healthcare Social Workers in Massachusetts vs. the average state Forecasted number of jobs for Healthcare Social Workers

Top Massachusetts Metros for Healthcare Social Workers

The largest metro-area employers of healthcare social workers in Massachusetts.

Metro Area Number Employed Annual Median Salary
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 5,270 $75,210
Springfield, MA 720 $58,910
Worcester, MA 650 $75,580
Barnstable Town, MA 170 $66,270
Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 140 $67,790
Pittsfield, MA 100 $71,920

Top States for Healthcare Social Workers Employment

These states have the highest employment of healthcare social workers work.

State Number Employed
New York 22,880
California 19,680
Texas 11,470
Florida 8,950
Ohio 8,700
Massachusetts 7,540
Georgia 6,780
Pennsylvania 6,560
Tennessee 5,780
Maryland 5,430
Illinois 5,240
Michigan 5,110
Washington 4,970
North Carolina 4,650
Missouri 4,630
New Jersey 4,390
Indiana 4,320
Colorado 4,050
Wisconsin 3,810
Arizona 2,830

Highest-Paying States for Healthcare Social Workers

The highest-paying states for healthcare social workers.

State Annual Median Salary
California $92,970
District of Columbia $92,600
Oregon $85,150
Hawaii $84,640
Connecticut $81,900
New Jersey $81,710
Rhode Island $79,460
Vermont $78,390
New Hampshire $78,000
Alaska $77,990

Skills

The most important healthcare social workers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Social Perceptiveness  4.2 / 5
0
5
Service Orientation  4.1 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.1 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Coordination  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Key knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Psychology  4.9 / 5
0
5
Therapy and Counseling  4.7 / 5
0
5
Sociology and Anthropology  4.4 / 5
0
5
English Language  4.4 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.9 / 5
0
5
Education and Training  3.5 / 5
0
5

Abilities

Key abilities for healthcare social workers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Oral Expression  4.1 / 5
0
5
Written Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5
Speech Clarity  4.0 / 5
0
5
Problem Sensitivity  4.0 / 5
0
5
Deductive Reasoning  4.0 / 5
0
5
Oral Comprehension  4.0 / 5
0
5

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, healthcare social workers typically:

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

Work Activities

  • Assisting and Caring for Others
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  • Getting Information
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Documenting/Recording Information
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  • Working with Computers
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: MEDITECH software In-demand technologies: Google Meet

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Several college majors map to this occupation:

  • Social Work
  • Mental & Social Health Services
  • Thanatology

Related occupations to healthcare social workers include:

Also Known As

AIDS Social Worker, Bereavement Counselor, Case Manager, Case Worker, Caseworker, Certified Health Care Social Worker, Certified Social Worker in Health Care (C-SWHC), Client Advocate, Clinical Social Worker, Disability Advocate, Disability Coordinator, Disability Specialist, Discharge Planner, Elder Counselor, Family Advocate.

References

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