How Much Do Social Workers Make?
It's true, the social work profession continues to grow and expand across the United States despite the sluggish economy. In addition, with President Obama being re-elected it is expected that government programs will continue to grow throughout 2016. With that being said, someone may still wonder if pursuing a career in social work is worth the time, investment and effort? Can someone make a decent living in the field of social work today? Nationally, the average social worker makes between $45,000 and $51,000 a year, which is approximately the same salary as most school teachers.
The salary a social worker earns depends on several different factors the chief factor being their geographical location. For instance, social workers in California, Alabama and Massachusetts tend to be paid the most, while social workers in Nebraska, Louisiana and Hawaii are often paid the least. The particular field of social work or specialization will also play a major role in how much a social worker earns, i.e. forensic social worker, school social worker, medical social worker or private practice. Social workers who are employed by the government often make less than those who are self employed or work for private companies and institutions. In addition, a social worker's level of education and work experience will certainly influence the amount of compensation a social worker earns.
Generally speaking, an entry level social worker will start out between $25,000 and $32,000 whereas a more seasoned masters level social worker can earn as much as $89,000 a year in private practice. The table below shows how much social workers make by area of practice according to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
Social Worker Salaries 2011
|
Area of Practice |
Average Hourly Rate |
Average Yearly Salary |
|
School Social Worker |
$27.45 |
$57,100 |
|
Child Welfare Social Worker |
$20.91 |
$43,500 |
|
Public Assistance Social Worker |
$17.00 |
$35,360 |
|
Mental Health & Substance Abuse |
$23.21 |
$48,280 |
|
Medical Social Worker |
$26.23 |
$54,550 |
|
Hospice/Home Health Social Worker |
$24.68 |
$51,330 |
|
Nursing Home/Long Term Care |
$21.10 |
$43,890 |
|
Private Practice |
$30.15 |
$62,710 |
|
Juvenile Justice/Corrections |
$24.64 |
$51,240 |
Considering a career in Social Work? Good idea, as job opportunities are expected to increase by 16% through 2018. Also, the availability of online social work programs allows many individuals to obtain their social work degree from the comfort of their own home. Earning a degree in social work provides access to a variety of career opportunities and has moderate income potential as illustrated above.
What is Social Work?
Social Work is a relatively new profession compared to other professions in the United States and around the world. Social Work arose in the 1800's out of the desire to meet the needs of individuals with physical or mental disabilities, orphans and the poor. The National Association of Social Worker's Code of Ethics states that the mission of the profession is to enhance human wellbeing and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.
Social Workers accomplish this mission by increasing people's capacity to solve problems, cope with life's stressors, obtain needed resources, facilitating interactions between people, holding organizations accountable to those they serve and influencing changes in social policies. Simply put, social workers make the world a better place by helping to relieve human suffering. If you have a strong desire to help improve the lives of others, then a career in social work is just what you are looking for.
Is there a need for more Social Workers?
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics most recent data indicates that in 2008 social workers were holding 642,000 of the Nation's jobs. The Bureau goes on to report that employment in the field of Social Work is expected to grow 16% which is faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2018. They contribute this increased need to the growth in the aging Baby Boomer generation and the elderly population which will require more health and social services, particularly in the areas of gerontology and medical social work. Social work jobs in Florida, California and Arizona should continue to increase at a faster than average rate due to the higher concentrations of this demographic in these states.
Employment as a child, family or school social worker is expected to grow by 12%. However, growth may be hindered some due to the strained budgets of local, state and federal government agencies who employ the majority of these social workers.Substance abuse social workers is expected to grow by 20% through 2018 which is much faster than the average. More and more substance abusers are being ordered into treatment rather than sentenced to prison. Social workers who provide substance abuse treatment in residential settings and private practice will be in strong demand in the years to come.
Growth in public health and medical social worker jobs will be the greatest over the next decade with a 22% growth rate. Medical social workers will find employment in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living communities, home health agencies, long term care facilities and hospices.
These are only a few of the job opportunities that are available in the field of social work, as there are other career opportunities in the areas of corrections, juvenile justice, public welfare, for profit companies, military social work and private practice. Jump over to how much do social workers make and career options to learn more about these jobs and their accompanying salaries.
