Unpredictable schedule Many social work jobs operate outside of the traditional 9-5 Monday-Friday business hours. Those that do have a typical contract may find their work extending beyond these hours.
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Among the hardest things about working as a social worker are factors like the emotional stress that comes with seeing the extremes of injustice and abuse, the challenge of working with vulnerable and marginalized client populations, the stress and physical injuries that often accompany the job and the inability to fix
Here are the top 10 social work jobs.
- Marriage and Family Counselor.
- Medical Social Worker.
- School Social Worker.
- Foster Care Social Worker.
- Child and Family Therapist.
- Corporate Social Responsibility. Median Salary: $58,560.
- Policy Analyst. Median Salary: $58,560.
- Human Resources Coordinator/Specialist. Median Salary: $58,560.
seven years
It’s well-know that there is a high level of sick leave and staff turnover, and social workers can experience empathy fatigue. According to recent research the average career length for a social worker is just seven years.
Researchers from the University of Liverpool collected data on stress levels from 25,352 employees working in 24 different occupations and ranked their averages according to two measures. Teaching and social work appeared in the top three for both poor psychological wellbeing and physical ill health caused by stress.
TOP CONS OF BEING A SOCIAL WORKER
- You will need to have a formal education.
- You will have to pay for your formal education.
- You may need a license to practice as a social worker.
- You may have a heavy workload.
- You may have long hours.
- You may need to be on call.
- You may be in dangerous situations at times.
Social work was rated as one of the 10 most depressing careers, according to this article running on CBS News, Health.com, Forbes and other Web sites.
5 Easy Entry-Level Social Work Jobs
- Group Home Workers.
- Substance Abuse Counselors.
- Community Social Workers.
- Healthcare Social Workers.
- Case Managers.
One reason for this is that women, in general, are underpaid and 75% of social workers are women. Another reason is the broad nature of our profession, which spans across many occupations. In this vast playing field, it is often hard to see how social workers make unique contributions.
Mental health and substance abuse social workers open_in_new, mean wage in 2020:
- Residential mental health and substance-abuse facilities: $41,300.
- Individual and family services: $48,550.
- Outpatient care centers: $54,380.
- Psychiatric and substance-abuse hospitals: $57,840.
Social workers are below average when it comes to happiness. At CareerExplorer, we conduct an ongoing survey with millions of people and ask them how satisfied they are with their careers. As it turns out, social workers rate their career happiness 2.9 out of 5 stars which puts them in the bottom 23% of careers.
For social workers, research indicates the average career span is eight years, much lower than in other helping professions, particularly those in medical professions (Curtis, Moriarty and Netten, 2010).
Social workers help those who need it the most. So, no, there is no such thing as being too smart for social work. Sure, you can be too impatient, too cold to be a social worker, but definitely not too intelligent. Like teaching, it is a field of passion, not for those simply looking for a large paycheck.
The figure remains unchanged from 2020 but down from 16.9 in 2019. However, BASW warns that a combination of “unmanageable caseloads, rising pressures and a lack of resources” and “years of chronic underfunding in social services” is forcing social workers to leave the profession.
“Social workers’ skills and interventions keep people safe from harm and change lives. But there simply aren’t enough of them to deal with increasing demand. New recruits and experienced workers are at breaking point and are leaving the profession in their droves.
The condition is incredibly common in social work—and there’s ample research to prove it. In one 2006 survey of 1,000 practicing social workers, 34 percent reported a current state burnout. Overall, 75 percent dealt with burnout at some point in their careers.
As per the statistics to determine the most stressful professional, human health and social work activities rank higher than any other profession with a stress score of 83%. This alarmingly high-stress rate is due to many reasons.
Being a social worker involves heavy amounts of emotional labor and going the extra mile with often limited resources to help patients. Keep an eye on your energy level and monitor your own physical and mental health carefully, and when and where you need to, step away for a time to recharge.
5 Benefits of Being a Social Worker
- Social Workers Make a Positive Impact.
- Every Day Is Different.
- Many Opportunities for Specialization.
- Flexible Hours.
- Social Work Is a Growing Field.
- Forge a Meaningful Career in Social Work.
What is the saddest job?
10 Most Depressing Careers
- Social Workers.
- Health-Care Workers.
- Artists, Entertainers, Writers.
- Teachers.
- Administrative Support Staff.
- Maintenance and Grounds Workers.
- Financial Advisors and Accountants. iStockphoto Stress.
- Salespeople. iStockphoto People who work in sales are No.
What is the happiest job?
Construction Worker
Construction workers are the #1 happiest job for a reason—they do what humans are built for! They plan, move and use their bodies, and get to see their creative works come to life. Not all construction jobs are easy to jump into, however.