Guides older adults and their families through care decisions, coordinating doctors, home care, housing, benefits and crises. BLS does not publish separate figures for healthcare social workers; it counts them within healthcare social worker (SOC 21-1022), whose median pay is $67,880 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 21-1022
- Community and Social Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Geriatric Care Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $67,880a year, or $32.63/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $46KTop 10% $100K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +8.5%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+8.5%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +8.5% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 16,900194,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025194.8K
- Projected 2035211.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 194.8K Projected 2035 211.3K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Bachelor's14.8%
- Master's70.4%
- Post-master’s certificate11.1%
- Professional degree3.7%
Highest education held by healthcare social workers Segment Value Bachelor's 14.8% Master's 70.4% Post-master’s certificate 11.1% Professional degree 3.7%
Also advertised as: Aging Life Care Professional, Aging Life Care Manager, Elder Care Manager, Private Care Manager, Senior Care Advisor.
Pay
How much do Healthcare Social Workers make?
Every geriatric care manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$67,880
Middle half earn $56,710 to $82,240
- 10th
- $46,220
- 25th
- $56,710
- 75th
- $82,240
- 90th
- $100,360
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $46,220 |
| 25th | $56,710 |
| Median | $67,880 |
| 75th | $82,240 |
| 90th | $100,360 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $67,880
- Median hourly wage
- $32.63/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $71,790
- People employed
- 187,630
Versus all US occupations
At $67,880, Healthcare Social Workers earn 33% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $16,900 a year.
Versus community and social service occupations
Inside the Community and Social Service group, where the middle occupation pays $60,300, this is 13% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $100,360 or more while the bottom 10% earn $46,220, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 42% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $94,100, and still leads at $85,623 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Healthcare Social Workers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $94,100 | $85,623 | 420 |
| 2California | $89,660 | $80,979 | 17,690 |
| 3Hawaii | $85,420 | $77,689 | 660 |
| 4Oregon | $84,350 | $81,607 | 2,320 |
| 5New Jersey | $82,690 | $75,998 | 4,310 |
| 6Vermont | $81,140 | $82,831 | 250 |
| 7Connecticut | $79,900 | $77,116 | 1,650 |
| 8Washington | $78,570 | $73,421 | 5,180 |
| 9Nevada | $78,470 | $78,486 | 1,160 |
| 10New Hampshire | $78,260 | $75,131 | 590 |
Job outlook
Is Geriatric Care Manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +8.5% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Workers | +8.5% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Healthcare Social Workers to change 8.5% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.4× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 16,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 16,900 openings are projected each year, 8.7% of the 194,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Geriatric Care Manager
Most care managers have a degree in social work, nursing, gerontology or counseling, and many hold a social work or nursing license. Experience in hospital discharge planning, home health, hospice or long-term care is common before going into care management.
The Aging Life Care Association sets membership standards based on education, experience and certification. Recognized certifications include the Care Manager Certified credential from the National Academy of Certified Care Managers and certifications from the Commission for Case Manager Certification. Many care managers work for an established practice before starting their own.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Internship/residency
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as healthcare social workers.
- Master's Degree70.4%
- Bachelor's Degree14.8%
- Post-Master's Certificate11.1%
- First Professional Degree3.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 70.4% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 14.8% |
| Post-Master's Certificate | 11.1% |
| First Professional Degree | 3.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Geriatric Care Manager do?
Geriatric care managers, now often called aging life care professionals, act as a guide and coordinator for older adults and their families. Families often hire them when a parent is declining, lives far away or is facing a move or a hospital stay. The care manager assesses the person's health, safety, finances, home and support network, then builds a care plan.
They arrange and monitor home care, attend doctor visits, help choose assisted living or memory care, and manage transitions after hospital stays. They also step in during crises, mediate family disagreements about care, and work with elder law attorneys, financial advisers and guardians. Some work for hospitals or agencies, but many run private practices paid directly by families.
Day-to-day tasks
- Assess older adults' health, safety, finances and support
- Write and update individualized care plans
- Arrange and monitor home care and other services
- Attend medical appointments and coordinate with providers
- Help families choose assisted living or memory care
- Manage transitions after hospital and rehab stays
- Mediate family disagreements about care
- Respond to crises and coordinate urgent care
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Care managers split their time between offices, clients' homes, hospitals and care facilities, with considerable local driving. Private practice offers flexible schedules but includes on-call duty for client emergencies. The work involves emotionally charged family situations.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Writing3.9
- Active Learning3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Learning Strategies3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.3
- Service Orientation4.1
- Coordination4.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Persuasion3.3
- Negotiation3.1
- Systems Evaluation3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.3 |
| Service Orientation | 4.1 |
| Coordination | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Desktop publishing software
- Electronic mail software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Geriatric Care Manager?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SEC) built on O*NET's Healthcare Social Worker profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Geriatric Care Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 7 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Social6.9
- Investigative4.2
- Conventional3.9
- Enterprising3.7
- Artistic2.3
- Realistic2.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Geriatric Care Manager
O*NET related occupations
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
$60,280median a year
Most earn $40K to $104K
+10.3%Master's - Community and Social Service
Mental Health Counselor
$60,320median a year
Most earn $39K to $101K
+10.9%Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed - Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
More community and social service careers
Median annual pay, with healthcare social workers highlighted
- Healthcare Social Worker$67,880
- Geriatric Care Manager$67,880
- Marriage and Family Therapist$66,940
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$66,270
- Health Education Specialist$64,070
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$60,280
- Community Health Worker$51,850
- Rehabilitation Counselor$46,850
- Social and Human Service Assistant$45,930
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Worker | $67,880 |
| Geriatric Care Manager | $67,880 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $66,940 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $66,270 |
| Health Education Specialist | $64,070 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $60,280 |
| Community Health Worker | $51,850 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $46,850 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $45,930 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Geriatric Care Manager appears on
Questions
Geriatric Care Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Healthcare Social Workers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for healthcare social workers. It counts them within healthcare social worker, whose median pay is $67,880 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $56,710 and $82,240, and the top 10% earn $100,360 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Geriatric Care Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Healthcare Social Workers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. BLS also lists internship/residency as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 70.4% hold master's degree.
Is Geriatric Care Manager a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 8.5% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 16,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Geriatric Care Manager do?
Geriatric care managers, now often called aging life care professionals, act as a guide and coordinator for older adults and their families. A typical task: assess older adults' health, safety, finances and support. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Healthcare Social Workers the most?
The highest state medians for Healthcare Social Workers are District of Columbia ($94,100), California ($89,660), Hawaii ($85,420) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Geriatric Care Manager?
O*NET scores Healthcare Social Workers highest on the Social, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESFJ, ENFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.