Social workers held about 707,400 jobs in 2018. Employment in the detailed occupations that make up social workers was distributed as follows:
| Child, family, and school social workers | 339,800 |
| Healthcare social workers | 180,500 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 125,200 |
| Social workers, all other | 62,000 |
The largest employers of social workers were as follows:
| Individual and family services | 18% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 14 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 14 |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 13 |
Although most social workers work in an office, they may spend time visiting clients. School social workers may be assigned to multiple schools and travel around the school district to see students. Understaffing and large caseloads may cause the work to be stressful.
Social workers may work remotely through distance counseling, using videoconferencing or mobile technology to meet with clients and organize support and advocacy groups.
Injuries and Illnesses
"Social workers, all other" have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. ("All other" titles represent occupations with a wide range of characteristics that do not fit into any of the other detailed occupations.)
Work Schedules
The majority of social workers work full time. They sometimes work evenings, weekends, and holidays to see clients or attend meetings, and they may be on call.
Although some social workers only need a bachelor’s degree in social work, clinical social workers must have a master’s degree and 2 years of experience in a supervised clinical setting after they’ve completed their degree. Clinical social workers must also be licensed by their state.
Education and Training
There are multiple educational pathways to becoming a social worker, depending on the specialty.
A bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) is the most common requirement for entry-level administrative positions. However, some employers may hire workers who have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as psychology or sociology.
A BSW prepares students for direct-service positions such as caseworker or mental health assistant. These programs teach students about diverse populations, human behavior, social welfare policy, and ethics in social work. All programs require students to complete supervised fieldwork or an internship.
Clinical positions require a master’s degree in social work (MSW), which generally takes 2 years to complete. MSW programs prepare students for work in their chosen specialty by developing clinical assessment and management skills. All programs require students to complete a supervised practicum or an internship.
A bachelor’s degree in social work is not required in order to enter a master’s degree program in social work. Although a bachelor’s degree in almost any major is acceptable, courses in psychology, sociology, economics, and political science are recommended. Some programs allow graduates with a bachelor’s degree in social work to earn their master’s degree in 1 year.
In 2017, there were more than 500 bachelor’s degree programs and more than 200 master’s degree programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education .
Two years of supervised training and experience after obtaining an MA degree is typically required for clinical social workers.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
All states require clinical social workers to be licensed, and most states require licensure or certification for nonclinical social workers. Becoming a licensed clinical social worker requires a master’s degree in social work and a minimum of 2 years of supervised clinical experience after graduation. After completing their supervised experience, clinical social workers must pass a clinical exam to be licensed.
Because licensing requirements vary by state, those interested should contact their state licensure board. For more information about regulatory licensure boards by state, visit the Association of Social Work Boards .
Social workers typically have an interest in the Helping and Persuading interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Helping interest area indicates a focus on assisting, serving, counseling, or teaching other people. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people.
If you are not sure whether you have a Helping or Persuading interest which might fit with a career as a social worker, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Social workers should also possess the following specific qualities:
Compassion . Social workers often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations. To develop strong relationships, they must have compassion and empathy for their clients.
Interpersonal skills . Being able to work with different groups of people is essential for social workers. They need strong people skills to foster healthy and productive relationships with their clients and colleagues.
Listening skills . Clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives. To effectively help, social workers must be able to listen to and understand their clients’ needs.
Organizational skills . Helping and managing multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment, requires good organizational skills.
Problem-solving skills . Social workers need to develop practical and innovative solutions to their clients’ problems.
Time-management skills . Social workers often have many clients. They must effectively manage their time to provide adequate service to all of their clients.
The median annual wage for social workers was $50,470 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,790, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $82,540.
Median annual wages for social workers in May 2019 were as follows:
| Social workers, all other | $61,230 |
| Healthcare social workers | 56,750 |
| Child, family, and school social workers | 47,390 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 46,650 |
In May 2019, the median annual wages for social workers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $55,500 |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 51,290 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 49,100 |
| Individual and family services | 43,030 |
The majority of social workers work full time. They sometimes work evenings, weekends, and holidays to see clients or attend meetings, and they may be on call.
Overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Increased demand for healthcare and social services will drive demand for social workers, but growth will vary by specialization.
Employment of child, family, and school social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average for all occupations. Child and family social workers will be needed to work with families to strengthen parenting skills, prevent child abuse, and identify alternative homes for children who are unable to live with their biological families. In schools, more social workers will be needed as student enrollments rise. However, employment growth of child, family, and school social workers may be limited by federal, state, and local budget constraints.
Employment of healthcare social workers is projected to grow 17 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Healthcare social workers will continue to be needed to help aging populations and their families adjust to new treatments, medications, and lifestyles.
Employment of mental health and substance abuse social workers is projected to grow 18 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employment will grow as more people seek treatment for mental illness and substance abuse. In addition, drug offenders are increasingly being sent to treatment programs, which are staffed by these social workers, rather than being sent to jail.
Job Prospects
Overall, job prospects should be very good, particularly for clinical social workers. The continuing growth of healthcare spending and treatment increases the opportunities for clinical social workers as compared to social workers who do not offer treatment services.
For more information about social workers and clinical social workers, visit
American Board of Examiners in Clinical Social Work
Association for Community Organization and Social Administration
National Association of Social Workers
For more information about accredited social work degree programs, visit
Council on Social Work Education
For more information about licensure requirements, visit
Association of Social Work Boards
CareerOneStop
For a career video on mental health and substance abuse social workers, visit
Mental health and substance abuse social workers