Review WhatCanIDOWithSocialWork .pdf Review this Week’s “Salaries in SWK & Hiring Outlook” page. Spend some time researching

Learning Goal: I’m working on a writing discussion question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Are you ready to be even more excited about the field of Social Work???!! Many of my students have a very narrow view of the opportunities that exist for them upon graduation. Yes, there are the typical jobs that we all think about first when contemplating the Social Work profession. These include things like Case Managers, Therapists, DHR/C&Y/CPS workers, etc. However, did you know there are so many other career options out there? For example, did you know there are international Social Work positions? Or government contracted positions that allow you to travel around the US, and possibly abroad? How about the corporate world? Did you know that many big companies, such as Caterpillar often hire their own in-house Social Worker to assist their employees? You could also use this degree to teach college courses like this one! Anyway, this week is all about exploring roles and different options for you in this field.

To get you started:

Review WhatCanIDOWithSocialWork .pdf
Review this Week’s “Salaries in SWK & Hiring Outlook” page
Spend some time researching possible DP jobs that might interest you…DREAM BIG!!
Once you find one that excites you post the following:

Job Title
Key Responsibilities (DO NOT CUT AND PASTE FROM A JOB DESCRIPTION) – What is the main function of this position? Basically, how would you describe it to a friend?
Education/credential needed
Salary range (you may need to look this up in a different location than the actual job posting)
What makes this a DP position?
What is one Social Work job/position that you didn’t was an option prior to this DB?

Have fun with this assignment and allow your passion to enter this field to guide you. My hope is that we see a variety of jobs/positions in the DB so please refrain from choosing the first job that pops up in a generic search. Get creative!!

Discussion Boards will be evaluated by the following standards:
Prepared, contributions were scholarly, and added new and deeper knowledge 20
Prepared, and contributions were scholarly 15
Prepared, and made contributions which enabled discussion 10
Did not follow, directions, minimal effort, no evidence of outside preparation 5-0

Salaries in SWK & Hiring Outlook – (Review for DB)

SWK Salaries & Hiring Outlook

Deering, M. (2020, October 12) – Social Work Guide

Guided by social justice principles, social workers help vulnerable populations (Links to an external site.) face challenges in their workplaces, communities, and relationships. Social workers empower people to change their circumstances.

To obtain state clinical social worker licensure (Links to an external site.), applicants must hold a master of social work (Links to an external site.) (MSW) degree, while non-clinical licensure requires a bachelor of social work (BSW). A 13% projected job outlook (Links to an external site.) for social workers from 2019-29 outpaces the average for all other occupations. Social workers’ salaries depend on educational level, experience, and licensure and certifications.

How Much Does a Social Worker Make?

Median annual wages (Links to an external site.) for social workers reach $50,470, and range from $31,750 for the lowest-paid 10% to $82,540 for the top 10% in the field. Social workers practicing individually and in family services settings average $43,030 a year. At the upper end of the pay scale, hospitals pay a median wage of $55,500.

Generally, those with advanced education, such as a master’s degree (Links to an external site.), earn more money than those with a bachelor’s degree (Links to an external site.). In 2018, more students earned an MSW (Links to an external site.) than all other social work degrees. From 2008-18, the number of MSW degree-holders increased by nearly 35%. Professional experience also influences social worker salary.

BLS data indicates a projected 13% job growth rate from 2019-29. Healthcare social workers and those in mental health and substance abuse face even higher projected growth rates of 14% and 17%, respectively.

How Education Affects Salary and Job Outlook

Education remains the greatest determinant of social work salaries. An advanced degree usually leads to higher earning potential. According to NASW (Links to an external site.), individuals with an MSW degree earn at least $13,000 more than BSW-holders.

Wages further increase for those with a DSW, who make $20,000-$25,000 more than social workers with an MSW. Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) (Links to an external site.) data from 2018 confirms the benefits of an advanced degree. The CSWE found that enrollment for master’s programs grew 37.8% over the last 10 years.

The demand for master’s degree-holders remains strong in hospital inpatient facilities and higher education institutions, where social workers report a high job satisfaction (Links to an external site.). Many social workers who hold an MSW have no problem finding jobs locally or nationally. About 82.6% (Links to an external site.) of MSW-holders found jobs in their local areas.

Where Do Social Workers Make the Most Money?

Industry strongly influences salary potential. The top-earning social workers (Links to an external site.) hold positions in ambulatory healthcare services, the federal executive branch, agencies and brokerages, general medical and surgical hospitals, and insurance carriers. The uppermost mean social work salaries range from $83,050-$69,870 a year, with the top 90% drawing an annual mean salary of $90,800.

Specialty and location also influence what a social worker gets paid. In the next section, we look at how much child, family, and school social workers earn in each state.

TOP PAYING AREAS FOR CHILD, FAMILY, AND SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

Demand, cost of living, and job growth result in pay differentials from state to state. The highest salaries for child, family, and school social workers go to those who live and work in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maryland. Social workers in these areas enjoy annual mean wages of $61,910-$71,590.

Pay also differs by city, and metropolitan areas tend to pay social workers more than rural areas. The top cities with the highest wages include Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, and Trenton. Social workers in these areas make an annual mean wage (Links to an external site.) of $74,130.

Later on, we’ll explore career and salary information for school social workers (Links to an external site.) and child welfare specialists (Links to an external site.).

TOP PAYING AREAS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SOCIAL WORKERS

Mean annual salaries (Links to an external site.) for mental health and substance abuse social workers reach a high of $83,050 in New Jersey. Other top paying locations include the District of Columbia, California, and New York. Median wages in these states range from $66,080-$63,520.

On the lower end, mental health and substance abuse social workers earn $30,280-$40,450 in Arizona, Montana, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.

The highest paying cities for mental health and substance abuse social workers include Vallejo and Fairfield, both in California, where they earn an annual mean wage of $96,730.

Visit these links to continue reading about substance abuse social worker (Links to an external site.) careers and mental health social worker (Links to an external site.) jobs.

Answer preview for Review WhatCanIDOWithSocialWork .pdf Review this Week’s “Salaries in SWK & Hiring Outlook” page. Spend some time researching

591 Words