I’ve gotten some feedback from other friends in the field so wanted to add more info to my early post. The average social worker salary may be higher than you thought. There is a bad rap for the social work field of having a reputation as a low paying career. After all, many people in this profession work for non-profit or government organizations…not the best payers in the world in most cases. However, the appeal of the profession is high among those who want to make a real difference in the world. People who do this work help keep children safe, assist adults in creating better lives for themselves, and help families learn to live together and love one another more effectively. It can be very rewarding. But, can you live on the money you make?
Believe it or not, many social workers earn a decent starting salary that continues to go up as they gain experience in the profession. The amount of pay received will depend on the person’s level of education, the area in which he or she lives, and the organization he or she works for. It will also depend on the type of social work they do (some specializations are more dangerous than others and get more pay because of it). In most areas of the country, though, the average social worker salary starting pay for someone in the social work professions who work in educational environments like schools is around $37,000. This isn’t bad for someone who is probably just getting out of college and entering the work force for the first time. Of course it depends on your student loan situation and cost of apartment or your living situation. This is often an incentive for someone with the bsw or msw to get the lcsw degree and meet the requirements to take the exam .
Those who work for government entities or for medical facilities can expect to earn even more for a starting salary, usually in the low to mid-$40,000’s. Those who have been working in the profession for a decade or more can often earn into the $70,000’s and $80,000’s or even more, depending on their job performance, title, and area of the country in which they live. For example, a person who is working in this profession in California will likely earn a higher starting social worker salary than someone who does the job in Kentucky or Missouri. Still, it is typically quite easy for one person to support themselves on even a starting salary in this field, and the rewards of the work make it worth it.
Private practice is an area that can have a huge range. It really depends on whether your practice is cash pay or insurance clients, the insurance panels in your area and what referral system you have. If you are good at marketing and have several referral sources you can be very busy and make even a 6 figure income. What population do you want to work with? Is your focus on making a better world?
I know some people who got social work degrees to run private practices and do quite well with it. This may not be the original spirit of the social work philosophy or underlying social worker theory but many have lucrative private practices just like psychiatrists and psychologists.
Comment by Carletta — December 17, 2009 @ 3:30 pm