Career comparison
Healthcare Social Worker vs. Social Work Professor
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Social work professors earn more at the median ($77,570 vs. $67,880), while healthcare social workers usually get to work faster (6 years (BSW + MSW) of training). Healthcare social workers help patients and families cope with illness and plan care after the hospital. Social work professors prepare future social workers and research social problems.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Healthcare Social Worker | Social Work Professor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $67,880 ($32.63/hr) | $77,570 |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $46,220 – $100,360 | $48,200 – $126,790 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +8.5% (much faster than average) | +2.6% (about as fast as average) |
| Openings per year | 16,900 | 1,100 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | 6 years (BSW + MSW) | 8+ years including practice |
| Key credential | Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) | Ph.D. or DSW |
| Work setting | Healthcare social workers work in hospitals, hospices, clinics and patients’ homes.. | Faculty work in classrooms, offices and community agencies.. |
What each job does
Healthcare Social Worker
- Assess patient and family needs
- Plan hospital discharges
- Arrange home care and placements
- Counsel patients and families
- Help with advance directives
Social Work Professor
- Teach social work courses
- Coordinate field placements
- Conduct research
- Partner with agencies
- Advise students
How they’re similar
Both careers involve helping others and working with people. They sit in different fields, community, social & government services and education & childcare, but share transferable skills such as empathy and empathy.
Which should you choose?
Choose healthcare social worker if…
- I want to help patients and families
- I can handle illness and end-of-life conversations
- I like working with medical teams
Choose social work professor if…
- I’m a social worker who wants to teach
- I care about social justice
- I like research
Still torn? Take the Healthcare Social Worker fit quiz and the Social Work Professor fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, healthcare social worker or social work professor?
Social Work Professors earn more at the median: $77,570 versus $67,880 for healthcare social workers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Healthcare Social Workers typically train faster (6 years (BSW + MSW)) than social work professors (8+ years including practice).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects healthcare social workers to grow +8.5% from 2025–35, compared with +2.6% for social work professors.