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Social workers have always been underpaid. One reason for this is that women, in general, are underpaid and 75\% of social workers are women. Another reason is the broad nature of our profession, which spans across many occupations.
Social workers are often incredibly underpaid, overworked, and underresourced. Social workers are indoctrinated with beliefs about working long, hard hours and doing it out of the goodness of your heart, serving those most in need.
What is the lowest salary for a social worker?
Salary Outlook The lowest 10\% of social workers earned less than $30,750 per year in 2018, according to the BLS. The highest 10\% of earners made more than $81,400 annually that year.
Highest Paid Social Workers
| Job Title | Median Salary | Career Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $48,430 | 14\% |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $58,470 | 20\% |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $49,630 | 19\% |
| All Other Social Workers | $60,900 | 8\% |
Social workers typically earn a lot less than nursing professionals, even though many of them must attain a bachelor’s degree or even a master’s degree to work in the field. Best of both worlds : If you truly want to advocate for your patients, one way to do that and still be a nurse is to become a Nurse Case Manager.
Can you make a living off social work?
The median annual wage for all social workers—including long-term social workers with all degrees (BSW, MSW, PhD, DSW)—is just $49,470 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And the highest-paid 10 percent of social workers earn only about $81,000 per year.
Unfortunately, social workers are not deemed worthy of high pay. In fact, most grants that are written for agencies that require social workers are written with low pay scales in mind.
Median annual wages 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.
Is a master’s degree in social work worth it?
A master’s degree is widely recognized as the industry standard in the field of social work since it’s a requirement for clinical positions that require licensure in most states.
A CNNMoney.com headline depicts social work and several related careers as “stressful jobs that pay badly.” However, the actual article highlighted the dedication of social workers and how they provide valuable services to families and their communities.