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Sanford Health
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States

Social Worker | Ava's House

Social WorkerFull-Time

Listed compensation

$24-$36/hr

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations, weekend coverage and time off.

Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Work Shift

8 Hours - Day Shifts (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Compensation

Salary Range: $24.00 - $36.00

Union Position

  • No
  • Department Details

Summary

Provides supportive services/counseling on healthcare and home care programs and services. Serves as a member of the interdisciplinary team in providing assistance with social, emotional and economical concerns of patients/clients/residents and families/caregivers, thus enabling them to achieve or maintain an optimal level of functioning by coordinating and planning programs.

Job Description

Provides crisis intervention and assists families in understanding the implications and complexities of medical situations. Coordinates healthcare programs among patients/clients/residents, families/caregivers and psychosocial and healthcare teams/communities.

Demonstrates knowledge of human behavior and developmental stages. Responds to suspected abuse, neglect or violence in accordance with the National Association of Social Work Code of Ethics policies and procedures alongside the appropriate state laws.

Develops appropriate plan of care for patients/clients/residents and families/caregivers by obtaining resources from the social, health and human services agencies. Provides referrals, current information and/or education regarding programs and services available.

Demonstrates commitment to the organization by utilizing time effectively, participating in special projects/assignments and exhibiting flexibility when necessary. Demonstrates professionalism by participating in care conferences and transitional rounding, serving as an advocate.

Demonstrates efficacy in critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making. Possesses written and verbal communication skills while establishing a rapport with patients/clients/residents, families/caregivers and communities and healthcare teams/communities. Displays independent judgement.

Actively participates with the healthcare teams. Depending on department may be providing social services for donors and transplant recipients.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field from an accredited curriculum required.

Healthcare and/or mental health hospital experience preferred.

Depending on location, Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required within six weeks of employment. Depending on position, may be required to possess multi-state licensure privilege.

Must possess a license in good standing in state(s) of practice:

In South Dakota

  • Social Worker license (SW)
  • Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet.

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-949-5678 or send an email to talent@sanfordhealth.org.

Key Responsibilities

Provides supportive counseling and crisis intervention to patients and families while coordinating healthcare programs within an interdisciplinary team. Develops care plans, manages social and emotional concerns, and ensures compliance with ethical standards and state laws.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Case managementPatient advocacyPsychosocial assessmentCare planningInterdisciplinary collaborationHuman behavior knowledgeReferral coordinationDocumentationEthical practice

Social Worker Career Context

Of the 50 active Social Work listings this role was benchmarked against, 60% are remote, 30% have no call, 82% require no weekends.

Social Work pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.9% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Social Work by the numbers
MeasureThis jobMarket
Listed pay$50k–$75kSocial Work median $67k (middle half $54k–$83k)255 comparable listings, Oct 2026
Cost-of-living adjusted pay~$70k in purchasing powerSouth Dakota index 88.6 (US = 100)BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)
Social Work listings in South Dakota19 active6,473 nationallylive on WeekdayDoc, Oct 2026
Work settingon-sitepeers: 60% remote · 30% no call · 82% no weekends50 benchmarked listings
Sign-on & loan repaymentnot statedUS Social Worker listings: 7% state a sign-on bonus (median $5k) · 5% offer loan repayment1,000 active listings, Oct 2026
Social Work pay trend+1.9% vs prior quarter—through Sep 2026
Sources: WeekdayDoc live listing index, BEA Regional Price Parities (2024); as of Oct 2026. Same values as the Weekday Verdict and Market Insights on this page.

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states. At the posted ~$62k midpoint, that is roughly $2k–$4k a year versus a typical 4–7% state rate.

Top Social Worker Jobs

40 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution

40 jobs · 16 employers
9
<$85k
4
$85k-100k
10
$100k-115k
16
$115k-130k
1
$134k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks

35 jobs · 16 employers
401k / retirement match
97%
Sign-on bonus
43%
CME allowance
17%
Relocation assistance
3%
PSLF eligible
3%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMFT, LCSW, LPCC)

LifeStance Health · San Diego, California

$117k-$134k
#2

LICSW - Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker

LifeStance Health · St. Paul, Minnesota

$73k-$126k
#3

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist - LICSW/LPCC/LMFT

$74k-$126k
#4

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT, LPC, LCSW)

$92k-$125k
+ 38 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 5.1this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Social Work listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 6,386 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

Living in Sioux Falls

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$302k
Typical market rent
$1,279/mo
Residents’ average commute
17 min
State income tax
None
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Sep 2026), Zillow market rents (Sep 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.