How To Become A Social Worker

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If you’re interested in pursuing a profession that empowers communities, encourages social development and cohesion and helps people improve or overcome difficult circumstances, you may want to consider becoming a social worker.

Social work offers a variety of challenging yet rewarding career paths, with opportunities to explore different specializations that align with your interests, skills and professional goals. This article provides an overview of the steps, including education, certification and professional experience, required to become a licensed social worker.

A social worker is a professional who advocates for individuals, families, groups and communities and helps them improve their overall quality of life. They work in a variety of contexts and environments, including mental health clinics, community centers, prisons, schools, hospitals and private practices, to help their clients cope with challenges such as divorce, illness, substance abuse and unemployment.

In addition to conducting exams to determine the appropriate resources, they often also customize a treatment plan to support the needs and development of their clients.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment opportunities for social workers are projected to grow 7% through 2032, which is faster than the average projection for all occupations. The median salary of a social worker is $26.61 per hour, or $55,350 per year.

Social workers work closely with individuals from a wide range of cultural, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds and must be able to assist their clients with sensitivity, compassion and understanding. Key skills for social workers include:

If you’re contemplating pursuing a career as a social worker, it’s crucial that you familiarize yourself with the licensure requirements of the specific state you’re planning to work in to determine the appropriate degree programs and certifications you’ll need.

It’s important to obtain degrees from institutions accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) because it demonstrates that your program follows best practices and meets the field’s established standards in rigor and quality.

Holding a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement to work as a social worker, though most states require a master’s of social work (MSW). Obtaining a BSW typically takes four years to complete and qualifies you for nonclinical, entry-level positions as a licensed baccalaureate social worker (LBSW). LBSWs must work under a clinical supervisor.

The curriculum for bachelor’s programs in social work provides a comprehensive overview of the theory, practices and ethics of the field through a combination of lectures and field work. In addition to the general course requirements unique to each university, the coursework typically covers a variation of the following topics:

Many undergraduate social work programs include an internship or practicum component. You must pass the bachelor’s licensing exam to become a LBSW.

Master’s degree programs in social work typically take two years to complete and allow graduates to work as a licensed master social worker (LMSW). The curriculum builds on the knowledge obtained during undergraduate programs, while also advancing practical skills.

Master’s programs in social work often offer specializations, such as mental health, child and family services, criminal justice, community and organization practice and school social work practice.

Coursework for master’s degree in social work typically includes topics related to the following:

LCSWs hold a master’s degree in social work and have years of professional training and experience. In addition to fulfilling state-specific requirements, LCSWs must also successfully pass the national examination to obtain licensure. The LCSW designation makes you eligible to provide clinical services, such as diagnosing and counseling those dealing with mental, behavioral and emotional issues.

Becoming a licensed social worker requires licensure from your state licensing board. It’s essential to acquaint yourself with your state’s educational and professional licensing requirements.

After completing a master’s degree, applicants must pass the Association of Social Work Board (ASWB) exam to earn an LSW. Generally, social workers need to gain up to 4,000 hours of supervised work experience, which typically takes over two years. You must then pass an additional clinical or advanced specialist ASWB exam, which leads to an LCSW. An LCSW must be renewed periodically. Renewal requirements vary by state.

The qualifications needed to work as a social worker depends on the level of licensure you want to obtain and the certification requirements of the state you want to work in. A bachelor’s degree in social work qualifies you for nonclinical, entry-level positions, while a master’s degree and licensure expand your professional opportunities.

Familiarizing yourself with your state’s licensing requirements and researching social work programs from accredited institutions is crucial. Earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work and gaining professional experience provides the necessary foundation to start a career as a social worker. Next, obtaining licensure is required if you want to work as an independent clinical social worker.

According to the BLS, the average salary of a social worker is $26.61 per hour, or $55,350 per year. Your level of experience, specialization and location can affect your salary.

The day-to-day duties of a social worker vary depending on your specialization and work environment. Generally, duties entail counseling, administrative tasks and designing personalized treatment and care plans.

Division of Social Work

UW Casper/University Union 433

307-268-2142 | bcutts@uwyo.edu

BSW, University of Wyoming

MSW, University of Wyoming

My practice areas of experience and interest are with women who have experienced intimate partner violence, trauma survivors, individuals experiencing poverty, substance use disorders, and families. I Integrate trauma-informed modalities such as somatic experiencing, DBT, and EMDR to develop a holistic approach to healing. Her work focuses on building healthy agency practices to foster healthier communities and mentoring social workers to integrate social work values and ethics to be change agents in all systems of care. 

My goal is to prepare students to be leaders in social work by creating a collaborative classroom environment to capture different learning styles, opportunities for skills practice, and completing projects focusing on relevant community concerns while focusing on social justice. 

How to become a social worker (step-by-step)

Recruitology

Social work can be a fulfilling career if you enjoy helping others live happier and better lives.

As a social worker, you’ll get to work with clients in one-on-one or group settings and earn a good living doing it.

But how can you become a social worker? What are the steps you need to take? And how do you know if this is the right career for you?

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the step-by-step process you need to follow to become a social worker. You’ll also find information about the job outlook of professionals in this field, how much you can expect to earn, who this job is cut out for, and more.

What are social workers, and what are their responsibilities?

Social workers help people handle and manage challenges in their lives in a wide range of situations. These people could include individuals who’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness, those who want to adopt a child, or those who’ve gone through extreme trauma.

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Social workers assist their clients by analyzing their relationships, environments, and all the other aspects that influence their lives. These professionals are expected to be kind since their job involves building client relationships based on compassion and trust.

There are many different types of social workers. These include the following:

Some of their daily responsibilities include the following:

Who employs social workers?

According to BLS (the Bureau of Labor Statistics), employment of social workers is projected to increase by 9% from 2021–2031, which is faster than average. This makes social work a great future-focused career opportunity if you’re looking for job security.

In 2021, social workers held around 708,000 jobs in the U.S. — with the largest proportion of employers being individual and family social services.

Other popular employers in the social services sector include local governments, ambulatory healthcare, and state governments.

How much do social workers earn?

Social workers earn an average salary of $50,390 per year or $24.23 per hour.

However, social workers’ salaries can differ based on various factors, including experience, location, skills, and specializations.

The salary ranges for social workers in different cities are largely based on the cost of living. The reality is that workers in some cities earn far more than those in other cities.

For example, in California, the median salary of social workers can be up to 16% higher than average, while those who work in Pennsylvania earn 11% less.

Social workers can also earn higher wages if they have highly sought-after skills. Those with the following skills can earn higher salaries:

Learn what hard skills are and how to highlight them in your resume to stand out from other candidates.

Social workers earn more as they gain experience. For example, those with 10 to 19 years of experience can earn up to $12,000 more per year than those with one year of experience.

Social workers also earn different salaries based on their specialization. For example, according to BLS, healthcare social workers earn an annual salary of around $62,300, while child, family, and school social workers earn close to $54,900 annually.

Is a career as a social worker right for you?

Here are some signs a career as a social worker might be the ideal fit for you and your skills:

Steps to become a social worker

Here are the steps you need to take to become a social worker:

1. Earn a bachelor’s degree

First, you’ll need to complete your undergraduate education and earn a bachelor’s degree.

If you don’t have a degree yet, a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree is your best option. This education will give you a strong foundation in social work and communication.

Having a bachelor’s degree means you’ll be able to find employment in an unlicensed position, such as a residential counselor or child welfare worker.

However, if you have a bachelor’s degree in another field, you can pursue a Master of Social Work (MSW). This is an excellent option for people who want to pivot their careers and make a meaningful impact in people’s lives and their communities by entering the social services field.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in social work, you can pursue an MSW.

Be sure to choose a master’s degree that includes adequate supervised hours in the field so you can meet your state’s requirements when applying for social work licensure.

In your master’s program, you’ll explore a range of topics and focus on those that sound the most interesting. These topics include, but aren’t limited to:

Your master’s program can take one to four years to complete. It all depends on your enrollment status and the school.

3. Gain professional experience

To get your social work license, you are required to complete a set amount of hours of supervised experience. The number of hours differs by state. For example, California requires a minimum of 3,000 hours of experience over 104 weeks.

You must apply to become an associate clinical social worker (ASW) through the Board of Behavioral Services to gain these hours. That will allow you to work under the supervision of a licensed professional so you can gain the necessary experience.

This experience will not only give you what you need to apply for a license, but it’ll also emotionally prepare you to work with patients from various backgrounds and with unique needs.

4. Complete your exams and apply for licensure

After completing licensing requirements and gaining enough practical experience, you must complete the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) licensing exam. Your state might also require you to complete an additional social work exam.

The ASWB licensing exam contains a total of 170 multiple-choice questions. To give you a better understanding of these questions and what you’ll be expected to know, you can look at the example question that ASWB provides.

After successful completion of your education, field experience, and licensure exams, you can apply for social work jobs that fit your specialization.

6. Continue your education

You’ll need to renew your license after a certain period. The timeframes for renewal differ by state. For example, in Michigan, social workers’ licenses expire every three years. Many states require social workers to continue their education to be eligible for license renewals.

There are many ways to continue your education, including the following:

Based on your career goals, you’ll also have the option to open a private practice if you continue your education.

Ready to serve your community as a social worker?

After reading this article, are you ready to pursue a career as a social worker? Does this sound like the ideal career for you?

If so, follow the steps outlined above to get started. Start by getting the necessary degrees. From there, you can gain experience to apply for your licensure.