Entry Points
Case Manager
Assesses needs, creates care plans, coordinates services, and supports safe transitions.
Years after high school
4–6 years
Degree
Bachelor's or master's degree
Entrance exam
None or program-specific requirements
Median pay
$58,380 national median for social workers (BLS, May 2025), the occupation most commonly associated with case management. Nurse case managers may earn within the registered-nurse range instead.
What the job is actually like
Assesses needs, creates care plans, coordinates services, and supports safe transitions. Typical work is fast paced with high patient contact, usually in Hospitals, clinics, physician offices, and community programs. Procedure intensity is low to moderate, and schedules are typically described as: Varies by outpatient or hospital setting.
The path
- 01Complete the typical education pathway: Bachelor's degree; RN or social work license commonly required.
- 02Complete any program-specific admissions, clinical, or employer training requirements.
- 03Build supervised or role-specific experience for work in Hospitals, clinics, physician offices, and community programs.
- 04Meet credentialing or licensure requirements: Professional license often required.
Good fit if
- Students whose interests align with case manager work and who are comfortable with the listed training, schedule, and responsibility level.
- Clear healthcare impact
- Transferable professional skills
Think twice if
- Education, scope, compensation, and daily duties vary by state and employer. Verify local requirements and shadow or interview a working case manager before committing.
- Requirements vary by state and employer
- Compensation varies by setting
Worth knowing
Career requirements can vary by state, employer, and credentialing body. Use this profile as a planning guide and verify current local requirements before enrolling in a program.
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View profileAll salary figures here are median annual wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, May 2025 — the most recent full national dataset. 'Median' means half of workers earn more and half earn less. Three things to keep in mind: (1) pay varies enormously by state, city, setting, and experience — a nurse in California and a nurse in rural Alabama earn very different salaries; (2) training lengths are typical, not guaranteed, and programs differ; (3) these numbers change every year. Always verify current figures at bls.gov/ooh before making a decision. For context, the BLS median wage for all U.S. occupations was $50,980, while healthcare practitioner and technical occupations had a median of $86,530 — one of the reasons health care is such a stable field.