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.
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Where Do Social Workers Get Paid the Most?
- California: $68,910.
- Connecticut: $68,000.
- Nevada: $64,890.
- New Hampshire: $62,300.
- Maine: $61,140.
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.
Typically, the highest paying social work roles are clinical. This means you’ll find yourself working for hospitals, insurance companies, or doing therapy. You should also prioritize licensure if you want to practice social work, even if you don’t want to be a therapist.
Social workers have the potential to make nearly six figures in some segments of the career field. But they also have the potential for building up six figures of student loan debt.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average weekly earnings for those with a master’s degree are $1,497, compared to $1,248 per week for those with a bachelor’s. That’s a potential difference of $12,948 a year or more than half a million dollars over a lifetime career.
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.
5 Easy Entry-Level Social Work Jobs
- Group Home Workers.
- Substance Abuse Counselors.
- Community Social Workers.
- Healthcare Social Workers.
- Case Managers.
Many social work jobs require work outside of a 9-5 schedule.
If you are a social worker, you can absolutely become rich through prudent saving and investments over the long term. While most social workers don’t go into the profession for the money, everyone needs money to survive.
A PhD in Social Work is a highly respected credential that can help you shine in the job market and rise to the top of your field. The doctoral program can open high-level professional opportunities in social work administration, policymaking, and agency leadership.
Earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) poses unique challenges, however. The curriculum is not only academically challenging but also emotionally draining. Finances can present a problem because unlike, say, a JD or MBA student, you’re not likely to start earning a fortune the moment you receive your degree.
And, it is one of the most flexible careers today. According to the Bureau of labor statistics, the job outlook for social workers is expected to increase by 12 percent from 2020 to 2030. This increase is faster than the average and is one of the top pros of being a social worker.
Many young people today want careers that will empower them to make a positive difference in the world.
The United States is the best country to study social work because it has some of the top programs in the world.
Top Universities:
- University of California Berkeley.
- University of Washington.
- University of Texas Austin.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics, social workers will see a 15% growth rate in the industry vs. the 7% growth rate average for all other industries.
Making it through an MSW program can be equally challenging. Many students report they underestimated the academic workload, stress, and personal impacts of their work before starting their MSWs. Others find that they have very little down time; every hour is consumed with study or working in the field assignment.
8 years
In fact, social workers stay in the profession for an average of 8 years, a significantly lower number in comparison to doctors or nurses (Curtis et al., 2010) .
Oregon has a median salary of $76,018 and Oregon has the highest median salary among all 50 states for social workers. The median salary for social workers in Oregon is $76,018.
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.
#1) Home Healthcare Social Worker
As the population ages, the number of individuals living with multiple chronic illness and functional disability will continue to grow.