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Jennifer Jimenez

Professor Moore

English 1301

15 February 2019

Social Workers

Social workers are essential to the world we are living in and play a critical role in the

communities. Primarily their role consists of assisting, advising, and helping individuals manage

their problems. Social workers must also be caring, supportive, and vigilant of the behavior of

their clients; they can work with many different age groups and in heterogeneous settings.

Additionally, they have to make critical decisions such as getting families the resources they

need to survive or deciding whether a child should be placed under government services.

Ultimately, their focus is to solve problems in an individual’s life and create social change in an

environment. Although being a social worker consists of strenuous work, it is a rewarding career

because of the educational requirements, salary, and job outlook.

It is vital that social workers get quality education that can help them acquire the essential

expertise to deal with the obstacles associated with their job. In order to land a higher paying

career in this field, it is favored they procure at least a Masters in social work or in psychology;

however, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, “ A Bachelors degree can still open

the opportunities for some entry level positions such as a case worker or a mental health

assistant”. If they want to work as a clinical social worker, it usually takes two more years of

specialized graduate school training after a Bachelors to receive a Masters in Social Work;

although there are colleges that have an accelerated masters degree program that can be
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completed within a year. After obtaining their Masters in Social Work, they can apply for higher

positions in hospitals, government, schools, and mental facilities. Upon graduation from a

Masters program, some states require two years of supervised training from a competent licensed

social worker, although each state has different requirements for licensing and training.

Ultimately, the academia and training required to be a social worker is extensive and demanding

especially for those pursuing a Masters in Social Work.

In spite of how ardous a career in social work is, their salary is not extravagent and would

be considered one of the lower paying professional jobs. According to Occupational Outlook

Handbook, the median wage in the United States for a Social Worker is $23.10 and the average

yearly salary is $48,050; however, this also depends greatly on what sector they are working for.

One of the highest paying industries in this career is the federal executive branch, averaging

around $77,140 yearly (Occupational Outlook Handbook). Furthermore, statistics show that

having a Masters degree can significantly increase the pay in this field by a staggering $15,000

per year. As an estimate, it is projected that the pay is 30% higher for those who procure a

Masters in Social Work(Occupational Outlook Handbook). Unfortunately, the pay in this field is

relatively low for the amount of education and labor required, although most people who get into

this field are motivated by the self-fufilling benefits and the impact they can bring about in

society. In reality, social workers know that they will not become affluent by working in this

career, but instead they are gratified by helping a child to receive the benefits they need so they

can eat their next meal or getting a veteran the healthcare they are entitled to after their military

service (US department of Veteran Affairs).

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In regards to job outlook, there is an upward growth and a considerable need for child

protective services and mental health facility social workers. As reported by the Bureau of Labor

Statistics, “ Overall employment for social workers is projected to grow 16 percent from 2016 to

2026, much faster average than all occupations”(Bureau of Labor Statistics).The job outlook for

social workers is 9% higher than the average growth of all American occupations (Bureau of

Labor statistics). In the mental health field, the job outlook is expected to rise by 20 percent

because of the perrenial use of illicit drugs (Bureau of Labor Statistics). As an alternative to

incarcerating drug addicts, the American judicial sector is sentencing more drug abuser to rehab

centers and therefore increasing the need for social workers. Additionally, social workers in the

children and family sector will be needed to work for the Department of Protective Services and

the number by which it will rise is 14 percent by 2026 (Bureau of Labor Statistics); social

workers will have an essential role in deciding where is it best for a child to live and averting

abuse in homes. Clearly, as shown by statistics social workers will have a flourishing growth

within the next few years and will not have to worry about competing for jobs.

Although the salary for social workers is not the best, what makes their job gratifying is

the people they work with and the lives they get to change on a daily basis. They will work with

different populations including the elderly, youth, adults, and children to help them manage their

problems so they can be reintegrated into society. Another disadvantage of this career is that the

educational requirments are demanding, and require many years of college education;this may

make an individual not want to get into this field. However, the many years of college will

prepare them for the stresses of working with individuals who are going through deaths, drug

addiction, and divorce. On the other hand, an advantage of the job is that the outlook is higher

than most other careers. It is beneficial that college students know that they can get a job without
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difficulty in this field. By judging on the basis of these criteria, college students will be able to

make the decision of whether they want to get a degree in social work or decide on another

career choice. Overall, this career is rewarding because of all the extraordinary people they will

meet through-out their lives that will impact how they view society.
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Works Cited

“Social Workers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : . [online] Available at:

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm[Accessed 22 Feb.

2019].

“21-1021 Child, Family, and School Social Workers.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 Mar. 2018,

www.bls.gov/oes/2017/may/oes211021.htm.[ Accessed 22 Feb.2019].

“VHA Social Work.” What VA Social Workers Do - VHA Social Work, 24 Mar. 2007,

www.socialwork.va.gov/socialworkers.asp. [ Accessed 22 Feb.2019].

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