Social Workers: Career Opportunities, Salaries, And The Three Systems Of Social Work

By Samantha Goddiess - Aug. 3, 2021

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Social workers are traditionally viewed as government employees who help families, communities, children, and adults through difficult life situations.

Today, though, social workers are not confined to working for government agencies. They are employed in a variety of settings advocating for anyone who cannot advocate for themselves.

While they still provide the much-needed care and support for those same families, communities, and individuals, they can reach even further. Social workers have opportunities for work in hospitals, schools, rehab centers, hospices, long-term care facilities, correctional facilities, private practices, companies, and more.

Social work as a field generally offers a vast spectrum of career opportunities — From the facility they work to the people they serve.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is a fast-growing field with a projected 13% growth over the next decade, which is significantly higher than the average 4% growth projected overall. Access to technology, including health apps and Teladoc visits, is a factor in that growth.

Still, despite the projections, this is not a career path for those looking to make a great deal of money. Social work is about passion. Salaries can be significant, but they vary greatly depending on the level of education, the location, the industry served, and the position being filled.

Education and Salaries for Social Workers

As with most industries, the opportunities for social workers will vary greatly based on the level of education they have completed.

Those who have earned an associate’s degree in Social Work can take on entry-level positions. Social workers who have earned a bachelor’s degree will not be awarded the same opportunities as someone who has earned a master’s degree or a doctorate in Social Work.

A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) will find career opportunities in the following profession:

Most opportunities will be awarded to those who have earned a master’s degree in Social Work. Those holding a Master of Social Work (MSW) will have access to opportunities such as:

Overall, the average salary social workers make annually is $51,760. There are a number of factors that will affect the expected salary.

  1. Specialty. Each of the main specialties social workers serve will have a different average salary.

    • Healthcare Social Workers make an average of $57,630 per year

    • Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers make an average of $48,720 per year

    • Child, Family, and School Social Workers make an average of $48,430 per year

    • All other social workers make an average of $64,210 per year

  2. Location. Your location will play a large role in the average salary. In addition to specific locations, urban areas will have higher average salaries than rural areas.

    • Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers will make more in New Jersey ($91,070 average), Washington DC ($73,490 average), California ($73,150 average), and Connecticut ($66,500 average) than other states.

    • Healthcare Social Workers will make more in California ($83,000 average), Washington DC ($76,100 average), Oregon ($75,730 average), and Hawaii ($73,410 average) than other states.

    • Child, Family, and School Social Workers will make more in Washington DC ($71,840 average), New Jersey ($71,110 average), Connecticut ($68,230 average), and Rhode Island ($65,430 average) than other states.

    • All other social workers will make more in Hawaii ($85,740 average), Massachusetts ($84,540 average), Nevada ($82,410 average), and Rhode Island ($79,720 average) than other states.

  3. Education. On average, those who have earned a Master of Social Work will make $13,000+ higher than those who have only earned a Bachelor of Social Work.

    Earning a Ph.D. or Doctorate of Social Work can earn you an additional $20-$25,000 per year more than a Master of Social Work on average.

  4. Industry. The industry served will also play a role in average salary expectations. Top paying industries will vary by specialty:

    • Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers working for insurance carriers will make the most earnings ($71,460 average), ambulatory health care services ($71,0030 average), and specialty hospitals ($70,240 average) — that is excluding psychiatric hospitals and substance abuse centers.

    • Healthcare Social Workers working for computer system design and related services will make the most earnings ($75,370 average), professional organizations ($71,330 average), and junior colleges ($69,080 average).

    • Child, Family, and School Social Workers working for professional organizations will make the most earnings ($78,280 average), junior colleges ($66,380 average), and elementary and secondary schools ($65,080 average).

    • All other social workers working for the Federal Executive Branch will make the most earnings ($82,490 average), general medical and surgical hospitals ($75,270 average), and local government ($69,520 average).

Career Opportunities for Social Workers

The variety of options that social workers have led to a nearly infinite amount of career possibilities for those who have earned a degree in Social Work. As mentioned above, your opportunities will be limited by your level of education. But, outside of that, they are nearly limitless.

In addition to the different industries that social workers can serve:

  • Counseling Services

  • Social Services

  • Nursing homes or long-term care facilities

  • Hospitals

  • Health care

  • Mental health centers

  • Child Welfare Services

  • And more

There are also a number of facilities that employ social workers:

  • Franchises

  • Non-profit organizations

  • School districts or universities

  • Private practices

  • Private companies

  • Foundations

  • And more

Of course, all of this is dependent on the populations the social worker chooses to serve. Are you working with:

  • Infants

  • Adolescents

  • Families

  • Couples

  • At-risk adults

  • The homeless population

  • Those with chronic health conditions

  • Geriatrics

  • Terminally ill patients

  • Veterans

  • Or some combination of the above

Can you narrow it down even further? Do you want to help victims of domestic abuse, families in poverty, children in foster care, children with behavioral disorders?

Then these are the social work specialties. Choosing a specialty will dictate many of your other choices from location to industry. The social work specialties are:

  1. Child and Family Social Worker: $48,430. As the name suggests, this specialty focuses on at-risk children and families. Social workers serving this specialty will help families and children gain access to necessary services like food and housing.

  2. School Social Worker: $48,430. School social workers work within school districts to help serve struggling, at-risk students. They partner with teachers and parents to help address the needs of those they advocate for.

  3. Mental Health Social Worker: $48,720. Social workers who choose this specialty will work with children and adults who suffer from mental, behavioral, and emotional issues. They may work with school districts, rehabilitation centers, private practices, or hospitals to serve their population.

  4. Substance Abuse Social Worker: $48,720. Social workers who serve this specialty will help individuals who suffer from addiction—this includes sex and gambling addictions as well.

    These individuals can work for hospitals, rehabilitation centers, detention centers, or on their own. They will help those they advocate to get treatment but may also help their families perform an intervention.

  5. Healthcare Social Worker: $57,630. This specialty is slightly different from the others. The job of a Healthcare Social Worker is to help patients dealing with significant health issues. They will help patients come to terms with difficult diagnoses, advocate for their patients with the doctors or healthcare workers, and more.

  6. Social and Community Service Manager: $69,600. This may be considered a non-traditional path for social workers. But, it is a common position held by those who have earned a social work degree. Social and Community Service managers will support the public well-being through programs that serve the community’s needs.

As someone who has earned a degree in social work, you are not tied to the traditional paths. There are many non-traditional career opportunities for those who have earned a BSW or MSW. In addition to the paths above, you can also become a:

The Three Systems of Social Work: Micro, Mezzo, and Macro

Social work is divided into three separate systems. Connecting all three systems is the “person-in-environment” (PIE) theory. The three systems are micro, mezzo, and macro social work.

  1. Micro social worker. Micro social workers tend to work with clients individually to solve problems. Typically a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), this system is all about the individual and their needs.

  2. Mezzo social worker. Mezzo social workers are typically licensed clinical social workers (LCSW). This system is similar to Micro in its focus, but instead of individuals, there is an emphasis on “client systems.”

    These client systems consist of families, friends, communities, schools, etc. They still focus on the individual but involve the ”client systems” in their support.

  3. Macro social worker. Macro social workers are not necessarily licensed clinical social workers (LCSW). There is less of a focus on individuals and more of a focus on the bigger picture.

    They may not necessarily work directly with those they advocate for. Instead, they use their knowledge and influence to work with local and federal governments to support their populations.

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Author

Samantha Goddiess

Samantha is a lifelong writer who has been writing professionally for the last six years. After graduating with honors from Greensboro College with a degree in English & Communications, she went on to find work as an in-house copywriter for several companies including Costume Supercenter, and Blueprint Education.

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Topics: Guides, Life At Work