Social Worker Salary Guide: Let Us Help You On Your Career Path
Social workers provide important services to individuals, families and the community and can work in many different types of jobs. The social worker salary depends on a number of factors such as education, experience, type of position, geographic area of the country and the type of employer for which they work. Both government and private companies hire social workers for important people management positions. Hospitals, clinics, police departments, courts, government agencies, charitable organizations and many others all have need of the social workers people skills. The main prerequisite for those seeking this type of employment is a genuine desire to help people solve problems and improve their lives.
Social Worker Salary Guide: Schools, Families & Children
Social workers employed in these types of positions earn an average salary of $43,000 annually. These workers may be employed by schools or the government or private companies to provide many services benefiting families. These workers deal with teen pregnancies, helping families obtain benefits for food and health, adoptions, substance abuse and many other compelling social issues.
Social Worker Salary Guide: Medical and Public Health
These professionals earn an average of $66,000 annually depending on the location and employer. Public health departments employ workers who qualify people for needed benefit programs for general welfare and health. These workers help mothers without resources get adequate nutrition during pregnancy and ensure children receive adequate clothing and nutrition. They provide counseling services to patients with Aids and terminal illnesses and help people find needed health care. They are employed by clinics, hospitals and city and state governments.
Social Worker Salary Guide: Substance Abuse & Mental Health
Social worker salary for this category averages $56,000 annually. They concentrate on helping people get treatment for mental health and substance abuse problems. They assist people in therapeutic group sessions, encourage clients to access rehabilitation services and provide counseling on serious issues. They help people who have trouble living outside of structured institutional environments and place them in productive work situations.
Education
Most social workers need to be licensed or registered with the state or locality in which they work. The basic requirement for social worker positions is a Bachelor of Science Degree. Some positions require higher education levels and a Masters Degree is required for advancement in most cases. Some positions require Doctorate degrees. Those in positions in administration may need dual degrees in administration and the social sciences. The higher the education, the greater the social worker salary will be. Those with BS Degrees average $40,000 annually. Those with Masters Degrees receive $63,000 and Doctorates command $70,000 annually. These are average pay levels and workers can earn more with experience on the job. Also those working for large companies may earn more than those working for smaller organizations. Starting salaries may also be considerably lower in some cases.
Most social workers enjoy good fringe benefits such as health insurance, paid sick days, paid vacations and pensions. For most social worker, however, it is not about the money but the job satisfaction they get from helping others negotiate complicated bureaucracies to get the help they need to address social problems.
