Social Work: Low Pay, High Stress
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. And back in August a CNN article advised readers to pursue a career in patient advocate social work because that line of work is expected to grow 24 percent. Photo of social worker Heather Griffith courtesy of CNNMoney.com.
Social Workers, what do you think? Leave your comment and join the discussion below.
“stressful jobs that pay badly”
I wonder how many social workers would use those words to describe the work they love to do. Not me.
I would love to have Mary Lee’s optimism, but the social workers and chemical dependency counselors I know are as frustrated and weary as I. I’ve worked in many settings in my career and virtually without fail, administrators are out of touch or simply not qualified to supervise/manage social workers (particularly in hospital settings).
While I applaud the efforts to offer loan forgiveness and have fought for it–those of doing mental health, chemical dependency, forensic and aging social work/AoD seem ignored in the process.
I have a great deal of difficulty with the fact that some high school graduates have higher incomes, better benefits, less stress on the job (eg. no threats; bodily injury), have no CEU/licensure/malpractice insurance expenses and never have occasion to take their work home with them (eg. mounds of documentation/group prep/workshops).
It might be easy to say that what I’ve written is a sign of burnout but what I’ve written is truthful and painfully accurate for many of us. I have friends and acquaintances who are changing career directions and leaving the field altogether. As a famous man once said, “Houston, we have a problem.”
I see a lot of stressed out/ burned out social workers, and if anyone says otherwise then they are kidding themselves. When I see these social workers, I pray that isn’t the future I’m headed for- but I also remember there are stressed out burned out people in other professions with higher pay- the only difference is- they have a higher pay…
I am currently working on my MSW in macro work, and as a student, it is such a slap in the face to see people who haven’t been trained or educated as social workers given the title ’social worker’- this is where title protection comes in…it protects our profession, our livelihood and could raise the pay for ALL the work we do.
The clerk at the human services office isn’t a social worker- the intake counselor who hasn’t been trained nor educated should not be called a social worker- this threatens our reputation- the role/title ’social worker’ has become a universal name like ‘band-aid’ or ‘Kleenex’-
Just because I work in a medical office, I’ve worked with people in the medical field, does not- DOES NOT make me a doctor- and if I tried to work under that title, without the proper education, I would have some consequences- and the same should happen for people who call themselves social workers, but lack the education.
Another thing that has to happen is educating people on what you can do with an MSW-
Social work does not start and stop at ‘taking children away’ or ’sitting in circles running groups’- I do not have a strong interest in DCFS, Mental Health ,and I have absolutely no interest in clinical work/ private practice- but I will be a social worker-
I am more interested in policy development, quality assurance, health care, international services, and program evaluation- these are things you can do with a social work degree (Laura Chick- look her up)- and with these skills you can actually receive a nice salary-
However, because society sees social work from one side, to strengthen my degree, I have to do a certification program in Non-profit management/ Policy/Public Administration….sad i know- but I want to make a nice salary-
Also- I think it’s in the best interest of all social workers and the profession to take some business/ management classes-
It’s a sad day when I am competing for a job in a social work setting against a business student- but because the business student can do financial management, mission statements, and strategic planning, i’m passed over, solely because I lack the skills and knowledge about business- I will not be passed over for a job, or given lower pay because I don’t understand the business side of social work-
Face it people- social work is a BUSINESS- and having those business and financial skills/ knowledge would strengthen our profession- I firmly believe this-
There are social workers who are not interested in the macro side of the field- they are solely interested in the clinical side, and without them, we would have a lot of broken people walking around- but our profession needs respect- and that respect comes in the form of $$- sad, but true- I really think it starts with setting some ground rules, title protection, and getting social workers to understand the business side of the profession-
Prior to going into the profession, I wanted to ‘help’ people, now I want to help people and make money- sorry- it’s a fact of life- I”m not looking to be rich, but I have worked hard for this MSW and I’m going to make it work for me-
If I’m going to be stressed- I’m going to get paid-
You can’t live off of stress, you die from it-
The field is one I come to as a career change from being a paralegal. Of course many have questioned my reason to leave a field that has the potential to be lucrative to join a field that is not respected and pays pennies. In the beginning of the career change I challenged others to see my decision to change careers as a personal choice due to wanting to have a purpose in life.
With very little time in the field and working in conditions that requires one to almost give their blood to service a population, I find the field to be a huge disappointment. So much so I have decided to give it 5 years and if no improvement I must change careers again. This time unfortunately thinking about the financial payoffs to the work that is done.
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. And if their not written with low pay scales in mind most agencies are using the money towards other aspects of the agency due to the poor infrastructure and lack of resources that already exist in a next to impossible working environment.
How do we fight a system that refuses to recognize that work that’s done? If you are already starting from a mindset of disrespect and your government agencies have very little involvement in the implementation of how the grant monies are spent who do we fight? If you are advocating for your place in a system where management does not consist of social workers, but MBA alumnae whose mindset is to make money and keep it to one self, then who are you fighting for higher pay from? In fact, how do we advocate for higher pay when the agencies themselves refuse to follow the salary standards of NASW? You attend an interview trying to negotiate for yourself stating NASW standards and the response is, well I am sure that is the standard but unfortunately we just do not have that kind of money, meanwhile the agency REQUIRES a license social worker. What are we to do as social workers? How are we to compete, let alone demand high pay scales for the ardous work we do in these times (recession) when we all need a job to survive day to day.
Any suggestions/thoughts?
It’s easy to say that social workers are underpaid, underappreciated, poorly supervised, and stressed. But aren’t there lots of professions that could say the same? Teaching is a perfect example here.
I think the important thing here is this: we don’t have to do this job. None of us has to do this job. Thinking about leaving the profession? It’s your choice. If you can’t reconcile the stress and negative aspects of this, then leave. If you’re taking tons of work home, think about your self-care and make changes. Either you manage all the down-sides, or you’re doing more harm than good when it comes to your clinical care.
If you’re feeling like you aren’t paid enough attention to, well, you aren’t. Our society doesn’t value a lot of things that it should, but isn’t that part of the reason that we’re needed so deeply? We’re social workers. What we do matters. I know some days it seems too much to bear. I get those days too. The fact is, either you’re a social worker or you aren’t. We need to keep advocating for ourselves just as fiercely as we advocate for our clients, to advance the profession. Other than that, be a social worker. Do what you can do, and put forth your best effort to be content with where you are in life.
I agree with Jackson, LMSW and evidently so do many others who are leaving the field. I look at the cost of higher education today and graduating MSW are faced with mounds of debt that will not be paid back with the small salaries that are offered for the education required. If we want to push debt forgiveness then why not empower the social worker and pay enough so that he/she can simply pay the debt. Surely if you could finish grad school then you should be able to figure out how to send a check to every month. I read an NASW report on the face of social work and it concluded that the profession is getting older and older and no one is stepping up to replace those leaving. Again, people are voting with their feet.
I also agree that we should put more emphasis on the policy and business aspects of the profession because if we do not make policy and oversee agencies then who will be there to advance our agenda. I say that because I once worked at an agency where the person I reported to had a degree in NUTRITION but was seen as qualified to make decisions regarding social work policy at the agency. The directives she came down with were beyond scary but gives an indication of the regard held for our profession.
Finally, for the person who mentioned comparing us to teacher; we all know the high esteem to which they are held…high stress and low pay. I for one prefer the MBA comparison! One has to ask, how can we expect to empower our clients when we ourselves are NOT empowered?
What other profession requires the level of education, hours of clinical supervision for licensure, and continuing education only to be the recipient of lower pay that teachers, lack of respect, and no title protection?
While I didn’t get into the profession to get rich, it would be nice to make a living wage in accordance with the level of education and experience I have achieved.
It is also worth mentioning that core social work values of person in environment, client centered care, self determination and self sufficiency are now being hijacked by medical and other health professionals. We have operated with that model for decades, now the other professionals have “discovered” and claimed as their own these principals.
When a licensed masters level social worker does not make as much as a two year nursing degree there is something very wrong with that picture.
The social work profession loses many very good social workers due to the state of the profession. We advocate for everyone but ourselves as a general rule.
Matt: I respect your views but unfortunately your opinions are the very same leading to the exodus from social service work. You poo-poo real issues by suggesting clinicians leave the field. Rather than shooting the messengers, how about if we, collectively, work to CHANGE the status quo?? Just because the facts are laid in front of you and they happen to be less than pretty, doesn’t make those of expressing them any less competent in our daily work or any less compassionate about what we want to do in our chosen field.
Talk about easy–to tell people to “just leave” is taking the easiest road possible when issues are “too hard” to face. It takes real courage and stamina to STAY and try to effect change–and it makes us tired and frustrated along the way. It’s folks with opinions such as yours that make it all the more frustrating. It sounds to me as if you might be coasting…
Well said, Matt Butler
I agree with Vickie! That is how we get left with the dregs in a profession. If we care about quality social work, wemust advocate for ourselves and show the benefit, on micro and macro level to society at large.
Coasting? I’m coasting? Okay. I’ve been in this field for ten years, which admittedly probably isn’t as long as you. At the same time, why is it taking the “easy way” out to suggest that people who display nothing but bitterness for the conditions we work under might be better-off in another profession? I’m not minimizing what we go through, rather, I’m saying it can be very hard. But if you aren’t able to love what you do and make it past the bad stuff, then you’re advocating for staying in social work anyway, regardless of the impact your negativity has on your clients? Really?
You’re arguing that having such a view of social workers has no effect on those you work with? Really?? You talk about shooting the messenger and then insult me with your ridiculous “coasting” comment…seems pretty juvenile, really.
As for Angie’s comment, we “get left with the dregs in a profession” by keeping those who are really committed to it? That’s incredibly counter-intuitive to me.
The reality is that we work with populations that many folks in society don’t want to even acknowledge. If society does recognize the issues, they certainly don’t want to pay fix it; just make it go away. If a person suffers from Chemical Dependency or Mental Illness, society still sees them as weak willed and “lazy.” I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people ask me, “How can you work with ‘those’ people.” My response is that any one of us, no matter your education, affluency, income, heritage, etc. could some day be in the same position. It only takes one car accident to cause a traumatic brain injury; one trauma to instigate psychiatric deterioration or addiction, etc.
I would like to be able to see an increase in my income. It has gone down over the last ten years. I spend much of my day trying to figure out how to get paid, justifying my job, rather than providing much needed advocacy and support. I went into Social Work because I believe I have a lot to offer and also want to achieve the American Dream. My income was poor before the recession; it’s worse now and I’m praying to keep my home.
I don’t wish for anyone to feel sorry for me as I know many folks in all professions are in the same boat or worse. I would just like the country to know that there are great people out there doing good things and we deserve to be reimbursed adequately.
Kassandra Scott, LSW
Our profession suffers from conflicting values- it was founded to help the disadvantaged by volunteers, but over time it became evident that there was a legitmate role for a profession. And profession means professionals, with professional incomes- which can contradict the initial goals.
Sad truth- it takes money to make money, and our profession is officially dedicated to helping the poor. You can make money off the poor, but all too often that involves exploitation- pay day loans, cut-rate liquor stores, house flipping, etc. – the very opposite of social work. There is little to no money in helping the poor better themselves- it’s an act of charity, not a business, and often this work is supplemented heavily by unpaid volunteers- which drags down salaries. But helping the poor was never supposed to be about enriching yourself monetarily.
Where decent salaries are involved, it involves another type of service- medical services, court-ordered assessments, clincal mental health treatment, business management services for an agency, etc.- services you need a skilled professional to offer, not a volunteer. Note- these are still good, legitimate, helpful services.
The practice standards of where you live matter alot- in Maryland, several local state child welfare agencies (DSS) only hire licensed, MSW line-level workers, which has pushed up the salaries for the workers and for private child welfare agencies that want to compete for workers. In states were CPS workers can have high-school diplomas the salaries for social workers are overall quite poor. Another expample- in states were you only need to be an ex-addict with a certificate to provide addictions treatment, the salaries for addicitons counselors are quite low- when Maryland added the need for a degree and a license to be an addicitons counselor, their salaries went up.
If you want hirer salaries- Fight for state-level licensure, and fight for agencies to hire only credentialed social workers- fight to get it into state law. And if you want a high salary, choose a branch of social work that pays one- you can’t work in a homeless shelter and expect a huge salary, despite the good you do. But- you can still do ALOT of good helping people with medical discharge planning, providing child assessments for divorce attorneys, providing therapy for veterans via the VA, etc.- and command a living, even quite respectable, salary.
I’m a supervisor for child abuse investigations, and I command a very good salary and benefits, with an MSW. When I desire to help the poor directly, I volunteer. I used to work for a homeless shelter, and was nearly homeless myself. I changed my career direction within social work, and now have a decent income and can still provide the “charitable” aspect of social work- I just don’t expect to earn a living off that aspect.
In conclusion- we need to define the professional aspect of social work as something different and apart from the chartiable aspect if we want salaries to reflect our professional standing.
At the moment I would welcome low pay and plenty of stress. I finished grad school then moved out of state where qualification for social work continues in the new state with tests, and approvals and registrations and that’s before any hours can be applied toward licensure. Can’t even volunteer without registering (financial burden). Thus no jobs in social work, a masters means very little here. Now I have to find a job not in my field to afford the registration that works on an approval system and a qualification system and the fee is non-refundable. Sure wish there were a national standard for a national position. Colorado requires registration with the Mental Health Board, then a state test (and schools for profit are offered at selected time as a refreshment course) for an LSW, then over 3600 hours prior to an LCSW and those hours need be in specialty categories. It will take me another 4-5 years to apply for a license. There are exceptions for the specialty programs such as mental health, and as many of others have stated; nonprofit does not make ends meet.
We have to make sure people know how much effort and work is put into becoming a professional social worker. Lawyers and doctors serve people and they are compensated very well for their serves; we have to demand the same. Social workers take on a lot of stress and due to the economic standing in our country we maybe taking on more because people that did not need our services will begin to need our support in handling the challenges that will come with an unstable economy.
Right now, that discribes me. I am highly overworked and underpaid! I love what I do however; the burn-out rate for me is hard to fight. Sometimes I feel like taking my expensive education and using it to volunteer rather then be underappreciated and valued in the agencies I have worked for. I am hopeful that this will change when the economy improves and when my record of hard work and skill set gets some more meat on its bones…
Yeah, this topic makes me so angry- fueled, but angry.
I have friends who are acquiring MBAs from top schools and are going into social entrepreneurship, social development by using business to make the changes needed in our society- that’s social work- this is a capitalistic society so it kind of makes sense to get an MBA- although I’m going into macro work- I chose MSW with an emphasis in macro work, but I’ve been thinking about getting an MBA- but what stops me is the fact that I love people- and an MBA schools mindset is different- they don’t emphasize profit tests to see if the organization is providing a wealth of interventions and assistance, but solely a profit test to make sure dollars are being made-
I don’t know- future social workers need to come together and raise the standards of our profession, get NASW to get organizations to hold to salary guidelines, and get our social workers to understand the business side of this field- (you’re fooling yourself if you don’t see it- DMH, DCFS, VA, NPO, Int’l Social Work) that’s where the future is- if we want more money- and the system isn’t going to bend towards our side, or appreciate ALL the work and training we have to do, we have to get on their level- acquire those skills needed to be competitive so a NUTRITIONIST isn’t running an npo-
That’s just ridiculous–
We have to strengthen our skills and learn to present and market ourselves and tell them why they need a social worker- one that can engage, build relationships, understand the organization, the business and finances, and one that is NOT afraid to make a decision-
We have to get on their field because no matter how much we complain, our professions history and reputation follows us- and it isn’t one that is held at the highest esteem-
Also, there is such a divide between micro and macro social workers that needs to close and strengthen- each should learn the benefits of the other, and why the other is importance and necessary- they work hand-in-hand- each have to understand that they need one another-
I am reading some of the comments about the profession. I enjoy being Social Worker, but I am frustrated with the lack of respect we get. I think that we definitely need title protection because many people think because they do certain roles of a Social Worker, that makes them a Social Worker. We are definitely underpaid and overworked. I can say where I work we are always having to pick up the slack of other folks in other disciplines. One of the biggest problems I see in this profession is that we do not advocate for ourselves. We do a great job advocating for a clients/patients/consumers, but do a terrible job advocating for ourselves. I am realizing that if I want to make some decent income, I need to start my own, do consulting work, or maybe write a book. If I continue to only base my income on working for other people, I will be overworked and underpaid.
I have said it before and I will say it again a zillion times more probably, if one got in to social work for the money than a social worker one should not be, the core of social work is to save the world and the people in it that the money and greed are destroying, it’s a helping profession definately not a get rich one, so if that is what you wanted then you should have gotten a degree in accounting instead.
The core problem for social pay- as Meeka aptly demonstrates- is social work a charity, and therefore seeking profit from it is “shameful”, or is social work a skilled profession, which should be aptly compensated?
As a skilled profession- we have a variety of very marketable skills in human assessment for clinical and legal arenas and resource connection and organization, and we are paid more in localities that license and enforce licensure laws to restrict the “social work” title to trained professionals. We are treated and paid more like professionals in settings that expect and demand skilled work that others cannot provide. (And there are decent jobs for MSWs with good pay, mainly in the medical field- I have several friends that make over $70,000 a year in the medical field as licenesed MSWs, my wife and I, both licensed MSWs, make nearly that much as State CPS supervisors- but these jobs reward people performing a required and unique skill set with particular credentials.)
As a charity- homeless shelters, non-profits (the name says it all), etc., THERE IS NO REAL MONEY TO BE MADE- unless you’re the director and get juicy grants- and if the media ever find out that a non-profit director gets a high salary, the non-profit often goes under- “Why am I donating money so that guy can drive a Mercedes- I wanted it to go to HIV patients!”. Culturally, making money from charity work is considered abhorrent and morally corrupt.
Also- you don’t need an MSW to be a charity worker- the MBA mentioned above is doing it, and probably better than a social work model would- you can’t go wrong giving people gainful employment with a corresponding skill set. Charity work needs no degrees or credentials; volunteers often do the bulk of it.
This will be controversial, but it needs to be said- For social work to advances as a skilled, highly respected profession we CANNOT be considered charity workers!
There should be 2 seperate tracks- those who wish to serve the poor and take vows of poverty (or, more often, have very wealthy spouses), and those that want to make a living as skilled professionals providing mental health, medical, and legal assessments and interventions- there should actually be 2 seperate titles for these professions; one could be “Professional Social Assessor or Interventionist”, the other, “Charity Worker”, and the degrees can be BPSA/MPSA and BCW/MCW.
Meeka: You’ve missed the point. No one said they expected to get rich, but we are entitled to make a decent living in safe, worker-friendly jobs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with expecting a reasonable salary for work above and beyond the norm. I certainly cannot do a good job helping others if I’m worried about how to meet my own expenses (eg. college and ongoing licensure costs, raising my sons through college, my own healthcare expenses (cancer treatment doesn’t come cheap), beginning to help care for my aging parents and making the charitable donations (some official; some not–eg. journals for my patients out of my pocket because it’s important) I make–in addition to working 45-55 hours a week.
If I had wanted to get rich, there were many other ways to do it, but I went back to school in my 40’s after working in the public sector from ages 17-45, was on the Dean’s List 9 times, earned a bachelor’s degree with honors, a master’s degree with a 3.7 GPA, was awarded the Woman of Distinction Award, was President of the School of Social Work Activity Committee, while working part-time as a church secretary and raising two sons nearly alone. I began my second career with one of our toughest populations (juvenile sex offenders), worked many years with SMD/AoD consumers, worked as the sole MH social worker for our county CIT police team, worked as a medical social worker for rehab and oncology units and for many years (and currently) in home-based social work.
Are you suggesting that I have no basis on which to ask for and expect a salary on par with other professionals who are required to do less to maintain their positions in their fields? If so, I can only surmise that you simply haven’t had enough life experience yet to be open-minded enough to see that even though we are working in “Social Work” that doesn’t mean that we deserve less pay, fewer benefits or unsafe/unfair working conditions. I wish you well but I hope you begin to expand your views with age and maturity.
I think people are missing the point about Social Work. Nobody ever said that they were trying to get rich from being a Social Worker, but we do deserve to have a decent pay to live our lives in the world. We are professionals. Yes, the history behind Social Work is Charity Organizations and helping the poor, but Social Work as a career has developed beyond this. Also, Social Worker’s are no longer older white women with their black book (LOL). If I hear one more person say that you don’t go into Social Work to become rich, I am going to scream. We all have our reasons for going into the field and I guarantee we did not do it to become rich. Most of us probably went into Social Work because we do enjoy helping people and I personally feel rewarded when I can help one more person to better their life. Regardless, we still should be compensated for the hard work we do. We are no different than a Lawyer, Doctor, etc. by the way, Lawyers and Doctors do not go into the field to become rich. They enjoy helping folks too. Also, they did not always get paid the big buck either and some of them don’t necessarily today get paid big bucks. It is a little insulting when people continue to think we are supposed to be expected to get low pay. Higher pay does not mean rich and also when you continue to work for someone else, you most likely no matter what Profession you work, you are not going to get rich. Again, we need to advocate for ourselves instead accepting thing the way they are because that is how it has been traditionally. Social Work has evolved so much since the Jane Addams days. I think it is a little scary when you have folks who still think it is acceptable to be paid low salaries. Again, I love being a Social Worker and I have been in the field for over 10 years and will continue for many more.
Hey GW,
Thanks for the information, I am definitely going to check this out.
Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), a social worker, is using this article to support HR 795, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Social Work Reinvestment Act. Check out this letter he sent to fellow House members today:
From: The Honorable Edolphus Towns
Sent By: emily.khoury@mail.house.gov
Bill: H.R. 795
Date: 11/6/2009
Dear Colleague:
I wanted to call your attention to an article on cnn.com highlighting the top 15 “stressful jobs that pay badly.” The number 1 job listed — social work. This article highlights one of the key problems in recruiting and retaining qualified individuals who will “step in when others step aside.”
My bill, HR 795, the Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Social Work Reinvestment Act, aims to solve this problem by establishing a commission to study the policies needed to recruit and retain qualified social workers in a time when they are needed the most. Social workers focus their practice on those who are most vulnerable in society. With the economic downturn, their caseloads are only increasing, while salaries and positions are being cut.
Please join me in cosponsoring HR 795, by contacting Emily Khoury on my staff (emily.khoury@mail.house.gov or 5-5936), and help us make a historic investment in our country’s future.
For more information, here is the article from cnn.com:
Social worker
Median pay: $43,200
% who say their job is stressful: 72%
Social workers step in when everyone else steps aside to help people and families in vulnerable situations. They provide patients with education and counseling, advise care givers and make referrals for other services. And with social workers in short supply and programs underfunded, few must juggle the work of many, while reaping little reward.
Just ask Heather Griffith, a social worker who works with children in intensive foster care in Boston: “You’re getting paid $12 an hour and kids are screaming at you, telling you that you are just in it for the money and you’re just like, really?”
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2009/pf/0910/gallery.stressful_jobs/index.html
Regards,
Edolphus “Ed” Towns
Member of Congress
The the lady who commented that clients look to you like your loaded, I totally agree, and it’s really depressing. My first job I made what is considered to be the poverty line in Philadelphia. I worked for a community mental health day program and listened to the money issues of my clients day in and day out, meanwhile I wasn’t sure how I was going to pay my own rent. Its truly disgusting that you spend money and time in school to make nothing. It’s pretty much a done deal that you have to invest at least another 2 years and considerably more money to obtain a masters degree, which is important yes, but really quite a large investment considering I know people with less than a bachelors making more than a MSW makes. I’m in it to help people 100%, but I hope that the government starts getting hipper to the understanding that we, much like school teachers, are severely overworked and very much underpaid. If we are pretty much giving our hard work away for free, you’d think there would be a bigger move to help school us. Smart and dedicated people can only take so much until the come to realize they have bills to pay and a family to raise. We don’t need to make 6 figures, but I’d settle for at least what bus drivers make.
Hello and Hafa Adai from the Islanders
I would like to share what other people are doing and how Social Work is no longer a past time hobby or adventure when it comes to helping families in our Community. The work has grown much challenging as we are facing more off-island visitors to the island. Once a very small population is now an over populated place to find shelter for families. We are beginning to see homeless families in our shelters and the need for places to live are still growing. We are seeking in our area how we can get Parents to see the bigger picture if we can only get their help when working with youth and families in our educational system. Families are not around to be available when it comes to their child’s education but we do know why. Health Care cost and benefits are very limited and are not flexible to meet the needs of all families. We are working with Senators to inform Congress that Guam needs a much better health care system in place. We do not have enough doctors and specialists available so this provides residents but no choice however to seek medical help and treatment off-island. We only have one hospital care facility for the local population and one for the military population. Most families chose health care that only their providers can afford. All others are out of pocket expense to the patient and their families. We are hoping that the new recent reform will better provide us not only the funding support but also the equipment needed for patients so that we no longer have to travel for off-island treatment. This is a tackle that will far more be a major problem if we continue to allow free access but no benefits or affordable housing cost for these families to stay. It all begins at home.
I am SO sorry I went into social work. I have TWO Master’s degrees – an MSW and an MS in Nonprofit Management. I am paid about as much as the manager of a Starbucks (without the weekly free pound of coffee). I work with occupational, physical and speech therapists who like me have a Master’s (though they have only one). They make FOUR TIMES my hourly wage. This is not right and I am tired of hearing how dedicated we are. I am also tired of NASW crying about our clients. If the NASW does not advocate for us, there will be NO ONE to serve the clients.
What could be good sources of income dried up. NY State formerly required that a social worker perform a comprehensive family assessment for every family receiving Early Intervention services for delayed children. This requirement was rescinded and the assessment has become a “parent interview” and is now done by anyone – a special educator, a bachelor’s level service coordinator, a psychologist. The NY State Education department once required that any child receiving related services be seen by a social worker for a social history. Now anyone can see the child and write the social history. If NASW could advocate to have these laws amended so that a licensed master’s level social worker would be the ONLY ones able to perform social histories and assessments, there would be so much extra work, we all could do better. I work FOUR jobs. This is not right. A porter in maintenance makes more than I do. With a GED.
Thank you on behalf of social workers everywhere, Mr. Towns.
From Social Workers Speak! Facebook Page:
Joseph P.: Ironically, Social Work has also been rated as one of the most personally rewarding careers. We need to find a way to get the pay to go with it, and we’ll be cooking.
One of the most appalling stresses in social work is the unprofessional treatment that social workers receive from their supervisors. I retired after more than twenty years as a police officer, detective, and patrol sergeant in a male dominated field before becoming a licensed master social worker. My clients in mental health and in substance abuse were challenging but rewarding to help. However, I witnessed social work supervisors literally yelling at and demoralizing their staff. If any boss had talked to police officers with the lack of respect social work supervisors display, the supervisor would soon be receiving mental health counseling. All of these positions are stressful but the question is whether social workers are allowed to be disrespected because of the predominance of female social workers. My associates in teaching express similar disrespect by administration. Natural stress imposed by the position is to be expected but artificial stress due to lack of courtesy imposed by unprofessional supervisors and blind administrators is rarely, if ever, highlighted as a major factor in burnout. No one should talk to a child or an animal in the manner that some social workers talk to their subordinates.
Thanks, Alice. I think for whatever reasons social work is often minimized and it never ceases to amaze me how many individuals attempt to do social work without a license. I have rarely been supervised by a social worker which is even more challenging. I believe this is just one reason why, if we don’t start being more proactive in our field and promoting our worth, social work and workers will continue to contribute to their own demise as a profession.
My Fellow Social Workers,
We are here as advocates, protectors, defenders. . . .we are given the honorable and arguous task of straightening the way and evening the playing field for the less fortunate.
Let’s use our GREAT SKILLS to advocate for OURSELVES!!!
ADVOCATE!!! ADVOCATE!!! ADVOCATE!!!
If you can’t fight for your self then you DONT have what it takes to be a Great Social Worker.
Be who you say you are and what you invested time, effort and study to be. . . .a SOCIAL WORKER!!!
RISE and FIGHT your MIGHTY PROFESSION!!!!!
By the way, there is a national credential from NASW, it’s called “ACSW” (Academy of Certified Social Workers). It used to be one of the only credentials out there for social workers, before states began their own licensure process.
Reading all of the above comments have been extremely validating. Over the past 20 years, I’ve experienced almost all of the war stories – the frustration with putting heart and soul into helping others (and not necessarily the poor); the ignorance and lack of respect from other highly paid professions where a fraction of the training is required (yes, I know, it was our choice and for many of us, a “calling”) and low salaries in comparison to investment to become and maintain a master’s level social worker credential. The longer one stays working in the field, the probability of demoralization and infuriation increases, and, perhaps, a tad bitterness. Despite all of the fulfillment gained from knowing you have made a positive difference in others’ lives, you realize you could’ve also achieved similar goals in many, many other decent paying professions, as well as volunteer work. And, in a career with a better salary with the same set of ethics and values, you possibly could’ve made a more significant difference in the world while providing a better standard of living for your family.
What I’ve learned from being a social worker is that as your skills, wisdom and knowledge base become strengthened and expanded, you know that salary and professional validation will remain relatively flat, as you watch other professions, many requiring no more than a high school degree and little else, either skyrocketing past you or, at least, catching up. And, despite having to work 2-3 jobs evening and weekend jobs to supplement f/t salary…just to have lower middle class lifestyle, you become grateful you have some skills to work at a nursing home before you have to go into one because you know you most likely won’t be able to retire until your health fails. You also realize that you’ve been able to work so well with the poor because you’re often just a heartbeat away from being in the same boat. So, until the social work profession can advocate for better working conditions and salaries, the new grads better make sure they either “married well” or have a good inheritance or retirement account or made plans for a different career for the twilight years…just in case things do not change anytime soon.
Oh, I forgot to mention the fact that most master level social work jobs include a significant danger risk! It really is ashame that the profession was never given another name or title before becoming formalized. Repackaging/rebranding/remarketing image experts must be hired to redirect the profession into a more valuable public commodity!
Greetings Colleagues,
I feel tremendous compassion for fellow social workers and believe that we must fight for the future of our profession! I am sorry that so many are overworked and upderpaid! However, I would like to offer an alternative perspective to the low paying, high stress situations that most have expressed.
While a lot of social workers are financially struggling, others are doing well–by anyone’s standards. I make as much my friends who are accountants, PR reps or IT professionals and some of my associates are making 80-100K a year (they market their highly transferable skills in multiple environments).
The range in salary often, not always!, comes down to ability and competence. It appears that some schools of social work have an unspoken “open admissions policy”–anyone willing to pay the tuition is accepted. For instance, there are numerous LCSWs in my organization, in their early 30s and 40s (not 50/60+, before computers were prevalent), who can hardly send an e-mail, type a Word document or work the telephone system; these people lack basic technological and computational skills, but wonder why they are not taken seriously. Really?!
Respectfully, having a bachelors or masters degree says little about intellect, competence or professional ability these days…depts and schools that don’t even have accreditation are starting on-line, weekend, summer (you name it), BSW, MSW and PhD programs! Many folks who can’t make it in other majors in college or industries become social workers because we are so compassionate that their lack of ability is overlooked or swept under the rug.
If you are competent, dress and present professionally and have the necessary licensure in your state and are still not commanding a competitive salary: get yourself a therapist or a life coach! Work on assertiveness and confidence and demand what you are worth.
Regards,
AP
AP:
(I find it interesting that you feel the need to use such a benign alias as “Alternative Perspective”); I’m afraid you’re addressing a very, very small percentage of the those in the social work field. While I agree that some social workers–just as some nurses, therapists and other clinicians–could use remedial reading, writing and spelling classes, very few social workers, despite education, experience, work ethic and professionalism are able to command the salaries of which you speak.
A social worker can be assertive and confident until the cows come home, but if social work isn’t valued, the salaries simply aren’t there. For instance, the local hospitals in my area have now decided that RN’s can act as nurses, social workers, therapists and discharge planners! Two social workers in another agency cover five (5) counties! What’s wrong with this picture?
I think we all can agree that there are many issues and concerns within our profession, but we must not only take care of those who cannot fend for themselves, but we must stand together and demand respect and compensation for what we do.
Wow. I have to say I have parts that agree with pretty much every thing that has been said. Even “Alternative Perspective” has really good points. Schools of social work do have an open door policy, as well as an open class policy. One of my professors in GRADUATE school could care less if we came to class, and had difficulty separating his Motivational Interviewing skills that he used with his own clients from his students, which were his responsibility to educate and prepare for future practice. I have met many like him. Therefore we are graduating some incompetent, un-skilled social workers that, in some states, are able to practice with no license at the masters level. No other counseling degrees offer the same freedoms as social work. Again, this is all dependent on what state you live in. We’ve got to come up with some cohesive ideas about how to transfer licensure laws, etc from state to state. I agree that there are many alternative social work jobs that still involve helping that pay a decent salary. However, the sad part is that many gifted social workers and therapists are therefore left with no choice but to abandon the populations that need them most in order to put food on the table. Those are just a few of my rantings, but again, you all have very valid points and change is needed on many levels to address these issues. I agree with whoever mentioned sacrificing our professions that involve direct service to the underprivileged, for jobs that put money on the table, yet still giving of our time and talents in another way, I have to say that I feel honored to be a part of this profession simply by reading all of your above comments. We sure are a passionate bunch, differences and all!
Well, I have been in the social work profession for 33 years now. I have seen changes along the way. One of them was the liscensing in 1986 in the state of Ohio. Unfortunately, many individuals are also allowed to continue to call themselves a “social worker”, even though they are not liscensed…..take The Department of Families and Childrens’s Services—-AKA: The County Welfare Department with a new name. In the state of Ohio, it is legal for an employee to call themselves a “social worker” from the above agency, even though they are NOT licensed. What other profession allows this! If you are a psychologist, you have a Ph.D (otherwise, even with a masters in psychology, you are a psychological assistant), medical doctor’s must have a MD after their name, a nurse ust be a RN or LPN—oterwise, they are called a nursing assistant or nurse’s aide…but not a “nurse” amongst their own peers! We look out in the world and talk about how our profession is viewed by others—we can’t even draw the line as to who is a “social worker’! I am an outpatient therapist in a medical setting and like what I do……….BUT..our field needs to get on board as seeing ourselves also from a business perspective……….if not for ourselves, then who are we? No wonder the pay scales are abysmal for “social workers”……..historically, they don’t even begin to hold steady salary wise…….ever falling behind………standing up and being counted about this as a profession is needed—-if not for ourselves, then who are we?
One can love what they do and still recognize the problems/barriers that need to be improved in the profession. I agree there needs to be more respect and increased pay provided to social workers. We need added support from our professional organization (NASW) to assist with licensing boards, title protection, public service announcements, etc. to assist in further the legitimacy of the profession. I work very hard for minimal wage but love what I do. Another issue we need assistance with is immunity for frivoulous licensing complaints by consumers that are lead to file these costly complaints by their pathology. A highly ethical colleague with decades of experience recently spent this past decade fighting these issues. Our litigious society is one more costly stress to social work professionals with very little suport support from the NASW. I often hear comments when I am negotiating contracts, sitting in school meetings etc. that “I am just a social worker.” When we hear these comments it opens the door for us to educate those that are not aware of what we do. Have some stats handy or attain emails so that you can provide input to educate those who devalue our profession. I think the reinvestment act is a step in the right direction but it is only a step.
Every response makes good points and has merit. I didn’t expect to get rich in Social Work but neither did I expect to be paid so poorly that my son with half the education starts at the same income right out of school. Social Work is a profession that requires many professional skills but carries very little in recognition, prestige, or wages.
One area no one talks much about that is somewhat a stumbling block for the profession is the structure of many of the agencies. Agencies especially non-profit agencies rely very heavily on “student interns” many of whom do jobs they are not yet qualified to do even though the professional guidelines state they shouldn’t be. The students are often put in risky situations as an expected part of their education… Most often they start internships at the same time they enroll in their first semester. There are horror stories there too. If all the students were to evaporate many agencies would be severely crunched… because they are valued as “free” help. In many agencies the policy seems to be take your work home with you, work through lunch and don’t waste any time during the day or you’ll be on notice. Most of all don’t complain.
If the “actual” social workers (LMSW and LCSW’s) feel under appreciated and underpaid they truly are. It has nothing to do with loving your work, because everyone has family and bills to pay, unless you expect only wealthy folk to go into the profession. There are no easy solutions to elevating the profession from the catch-22 situation it seems to be in.
The only ones that make a decent wage are those that have worked many, many years up to it, are in charge of a program or were doing “private practice” on the side or in their own office. The guidelines have made it all but impossible to do private work in many states.
You are told in the beginning with a smile that you won’t get rich in social work and every one of the students think “But I’m sure with all this education and licensing I’ll make enough to pay the bills.” In many cases the pay is short of ridiculous and the responsibilities enormous.
I’ve also noticed an inclination to hire BSW’s for almost everything but direct counseling… except of course when they are doing counseling they aren’t supposed to be doing.
I’m not sure what the future of this profession is but it definitely is changing. If less people go into Social Work at the Master’s level, and the vast intern system dries up, the front line Social Workers could end up even more overworked then they currently are. And that is a scary thought.
I don’t know where Alternative Perspective works but non-profit front line agencies are not going to offer that kind of salary, probably not in my lifetime anyway unless something drastic changes. The front lines are where workers are needed the most to help those in need. Unfortunately they’re often sent out with bandaids to fix what needs so very much more.
I have skimmed through most of the comments here and in the past I have had many of the same feelings about the profession I have chosen. However, when I found that I was unsatisfied with my pay, and realized that this was contributing to my burn out, I did something about it.
I could not accept that I was worth as little as I was being paid in previous jobs. I researched and found Social Work jobs that do pay well while also fulfilling my need for my job to have a purpose beyond a pay check. I developed a plan to move into one of these jobs and then move up within the organizational structure. My research and planning have paid off and I continue to work as a Social Worker, in a job that I enjoy with what I consider to be very good pay (well above the national average found in the CNN article). I did not get into Social Work for the pay, but have found that income does play a role in my job satisifaction and took action to be sure that I am paid what I feel that I am worth.
I have worked as a LCSW in four states and each of them so different in the way they view us. This is hard work but I do love it I am 62 years old now and as much as I love what I do if I had to do it over again I would not I would be a teacher I would have my summers off and I would make more money after I have worked for a while and I would not need as much education . we are unpaid and not respected most places for what we do. as much as I do love the work I do which is mental health for foster kids for a while I was doing well privately but last month we had to take a 40 dollar session in pay if we are working with the kids in there home CPS whats us there to be there eyes and ears but now do not want to pay us for the extra time that it takes to do in home work things are not getting better
WOW!! After reading the above comments I’m concerned that I have picked the wrong profession. As a current MSW student, in my almost my golden years, I’m fearing for my future as a LCSW with a concentration in Addictions. Please someone give me some hope!!!
While all this is profound and informitive, what can be done about a profession where an Associate”s degree is worthless and a Master’s degree is entry level. I have a Bachelor’s degree and less then a year of experience, no employer will give me a second look. The Bachelor degreed individuals should be used to fill in the gaps left in care when a higher educated person feels the work is not part of their job discription. Because of the exagerated perceptions gaps are left open and needy people are falling through.
It is my job and my desire to help all people in need, no matter how small their problems may be, yet I am not given that chance because my funding has run out and I was unable to obtain a Master’s. I find it extremely frustrating that this profession is so upside down and backwards. Perhaps I should move in another direction where a profession sees worth in all levels of education.
No matter how much many in the social work profession get some satisfaction from their work….I don’t think that any other profession starts out with saying………”well, I love what I do”…..without qualifying that the individual is on board with accepting that within a profession, there are levels of expertise and training and required liscenses and specialty certificates in order to embark in many area of social work. Just like being an MD of a RN or a pysician’s assistant—–professionals have areas of competence and that is not all encompassing in terms of being qualified to work with everyone because someone “wants to help.” We have to raise our own bar as to who is a social worker—and YES!……..I whole heartedly agree with the person who commented that NASW MUST take a more active role in shoring up the professionalism of our profession……….would teachers of lawyers or doctors be having this same conversation about who is a professional in their field and what their area of experitse is? NO! They are clear about what their areas of competence and expertise is and they have the liscensures and training to back them up. As it needs to be in social work—-areas of expertise with the expectation of appropriate training and liscensures and certificates and mentoring in order to take on any specific role as a social worker.
I absolutely agree that social work is a high-stress, low paying profession, BUT I will also say there is probably more job security in this field than in most right now.
In my own case, my job is stressful because I basically am told what to do by various heads of other departments (I work in health care) and don’t have enough time in which to do it. However, I do have some flexibility with scheduling, and can manage my own time to some extent.
So there are trade offs — I certainly make more money right now, as a social worker, than I did as a secretary, and there was a great deal of stress in that job, too!
Obviously all of the research that NASW does stating how much the “average” social worker makes is a little skewed. I didn’t keep the most recent article, but from memory, I believe it stated that 80% of social workers have a master’s degree, and that master’s degree social workers make over $50,000 per year. (If someone has the actual numbers, feel free to post them). Something seems a little off, then, because where I come from, $50k isn’t a bad salary (I didn’t make that much until this year, and that’s 14 years in the field and being promoted to Deputy Director). So are potential recruits being misled? They must be, because who in their right mind would spend $40,000 to get a degree knowing how much social workers really make, which according to many of these responses must be considerably less. Apparently it is the social work professors who are making all of the money which has caused tuition to be so much.
When my boss tells me I can stop being Deputy Director anytime I want because of how much extra work I now have to do for only a little more money, I tell him I didn’t get into the field for the money. When I started out 14 years ago, I was only making $6.55 (that’s when minimum wage was like $4.25). It was tough work and I made a lot more as a pizza delivery driver, but the job satisfaction was “priceless”. Knowing that you’ve made a difference is often more than most other professions will ever make.
As with most things, I blame it on psychology. In my experience, many people who make more money to do the same job get spoiled and entitled, which leads them to do a poor job. The low pay along with the stressful environment is very much like a hazing process. “I must really be committed to helping people to put up with this much stress for this pay” we unconsciously tell ourselves. While I’m not saying social workers should join their clients in the welfare lines (which I have heard stories of from collegues), if you got into the field because you were promised you could make good money, I have some property in Florida for you.
I did not use my real name because, as a public forum, there are all sorts of people reading these posts (I am easy to locate on the internet and do not want unsolicited e-mails). In response to statements about where I work and how long I have been in the field:
1) I work in a community mental health clinic. I am NOT in private practice or a for-profit company.
2) I have less than 10 years of experience–I have NOT been doing this work for 30 + years.
For people just entering the field: THERE IS HOPE. You need to have skills that will enable you to demand a high salary. Ask yourself these questions: do you have the writing skills necessary to write grants and generate funding for your organization? How efficient, organized and productive are you?
If you can find ways to make yours and other staff’s paperwork less time consuming or redundant (researching new technology that saves $)…..you just guaranteed yourself a raise.
ALSO, posters keep talking about various professionals who make more than us. Personally, I would never choose to be a nurse (not even for 30 dollars more an hour); I have no desire to change bedpans or adult diapers. Do any of you? Generally speaking, the more boring, gross and difficult a job, the more money you have to be offered to do it.
Also, many teachers lose their jobs or are put on probation when their kids score low on standardized tests. Are any of us losing our jobs when our clients re-offend, relapse after hard won sobriety or get pregnant after attending one of our teen prevention groups? I don’t believe so.
I am not saying that we don’t have to fight for higher wages, but I am saying that the grass is always greener on the other side. I have never and will never regret choosing social work!
I have worked in the mental health field for 17 years and now also work as an emergency room social worker. In the ER, I have to have the second highest amount of education and am likely one of the worse paid direct care staff. As a mental health worker, I have been assaulted, threatened, and paid under $40k a year. Though I love my work, the low wages have made it tough at times. I have usually dome so working two jobs and never getting ahead.
The reason seems to be that, though people want and appreciate what we do, no one wants to pay for it. Couple this with the fact that our clientele are often marginalized and I’ll-eqipped to advocate for their needs; we end up with chronic underfunding and a sad state of devaluing what is done. Any efforts to rectify this is necessary. For those of us in practice and those we serve, a reconciliation between what we need to get to practice and improve can only benefit the whole.
I appreciate the article and the efforts of a few to point out the work we do, the educational requirements we face, and the connected pay that goes along with it. I have two sons who did not go past high school. I’m very proud of what they’ve done with themselves and for their families. However, I did go to school and I did earn dual degrees and I did serve a three-year post-graduation internship before I was allowed to take two very comprehensive exams, one written with 250 questions and the other oral at a time when that was being fazed out by one of the country’s last die-hard oral exam requirement. And for that we get the privilege of starting out at $30,000. Of course, we have student loans to pay for and are trying to catch up on some kind of life.
I absolutely love my work and wouldn’t trade it. But back when I first got out of grad school (1992), I was very fortunate to go to work for the Los Angeles County child welfare agency, first doing adoptions and then working from sheriff’s stations and hospitals to respond on emergencies. And for that I got paid $32,000 per year. I don’t know of another job that is required to have a Master’s degree in Social Work that starts out at that rate. And I got REALLY lucky when I was making $70,000 by working overtime, to the tune of 60 hours a week.
So now that I’ve hit my early sixties, I have had to slow down by about 75 percent because my health is giving up from working so hard for so long. If we could be put on parity with MBAs or MPAs or Masters in criminal justice, public administration, probation department even, we would have started out at like $45,000 and gone up from there. I just don’t see any evidence that most people in this country, one, ever notice us; and, two, give a real concern about how much money we ake and whether a shortage of social workers that is on the horizon really means anything. What about being on par with engineering, that only requires a Bachelor’s degree? Social workers fill so many roles: geriatrics, children, adolescents, couples, families, individuals, case management, diagnosis and treatment planning, creating resources where none exist, in order to serve our clients and help them to be citizens with a future. Hello, anybody out there?
Linda Lipscomb, LCSW
Ventura County, California
Alternative Perspective is right on. That’s exactly what I did to get promoted. I made myself necessary, or rather, the skills that I acquired made me necessary for the business that I work in. (Adult corrections/substance use/mental health). The funny thing is, I didn’t do all of that to get promoted. For me, not being too concerned about money and doing the right thing by the clients even when I wasn’t getting paid extra for it then made me more money.
I chose social work over two similar, but better paid professions, the ministry and psychology. I was interested in these three professions because I wanted to create change in the world. However, I chose social work because I wanted to create change where the rubber meets the road. I knew going in to it that I wouldn’t be making a mint. At the same time I also believed going in to it that I would sleep well each night, knowing, in some small way, through something that I had done for a stranger, that the world would be a better place. And this is true. I usually sleep well. What does keep me up at night, now and then, are my student loan payments…
What a great thread! Thank you to all that have contributed.
If this topic creates frustration for you, one question that may be worth considering is “am I trying to work with what should be rather than what is?”
We each do have a choice to “work with what is AND towards what should be”, as challenging as that may be. I would offer that this calibration of thinking is one strong difference between successful and not successful choices in how to handle this topic.
ALL SOCIAL WORKERS need to read the contribution from Lynne Mays. Regarding protection of our profession and professional roles.
I recently spoke with the “social worker” of a nursing home. Prior to her 4 day training she was the cook. I find that offensive in that she can be a social worker after 4 days and I am a Social Worker with a load of student loans to pay.
My daughter is a MSW, too. She works for DHS Child Welfare and everyone in that office calls themselves “social workers.” There are only 2 with actual social work credentials. She finds the difference amazing. Our education and profession are specialized. Like Ms. Mays said, “just because a person works in a medical setting providing medical care does not mean that person can just call herself a doctor.”
I’m really surprised there is not more attention to this matter by the Social Work Profession.
………and yes! …there is definitely much satisfaction in being a “liscensed” social worker…….however, the article is talking about social work being a low pay profession……….no matter how it is sliced or diced, until our profession is able to get a better handle on over seeing and monitoring and yes! even enforcing who calls themselves a “social worker”………just like all of the other professions………..we will continue to have a problem with pay scales for the most part. It’s not that social workers don’t have an impact on their fellow man…THEY DO!!…….there is something definitely wrong with a profession that still is struggling with pulling in the reins and determining who can call themselves a social worker………….and get away with it!
This is the way I see it —– I serve the underserved and, in turn, I am underserved. Is that fair? Of course not— not to me the professional who has $70,000 in student loans nor to the many people that I serve that often run out of money on the 15th of each month.
I left a 20 yr. career in the corporate world of banking to go back to college and get my MSW. I was under the assumption that once I achieved my LICSW that I would be making at least my salary upon leaving my banking career. So much for assumptions!!??**! I am making as much an hour today as I made 20 years ago in the banking industry with an Associates Degree and no student loans to pay back! Yet, I stay in this field. I recently left a private practice to return to a community mental health clinic I had worked in years before. Two reasons: 1. To serve and work with the chronically mentally ill ( who, by the way always give me back as much as I hopefullly give them—their resilience amazes me!) and 2. To have a weekly salary that I could count on and have dedicated colleagues around me daily. I am 60 yrs. old with a strong work history. On the one hand, my salary is humiliating. On the other hand, I feel humble to be of service to the many people I work with. I live pay check to pay check—-yet, I have a roof over my head, my credit is great, I sleep good at night. I feel quite fortunate. I also feel that we must have a voice for ourselves to be compensated, acknowledged and appreciated in a more just manner. This fight for our own justice will in turn result in more justice for those we serve. We must speak up whenever and whereever possible for the hungry, the sick and the dying. We are social workers—what a gift!
Thanks to all for your thoughts.
Happy holidays to all you wonderful, dedicated people out there! We do make a difference!!
One important point that hasn’t been mentioned is that all of us have different standards of what is a “reasonable” salary, depending upon personal resources, i.e. parental support and/or inheritance, wealthy spouse, living in area with lower cost of living, (esp. housing), size of family, spending habits, budget skills, college loan debts, etc. Also, would really like to know what kind of community health clinic can afford to pay $80-100k/year, like Alternative Perspective mentions. Most of the ones I know from a major metropolitan area struggle each month while clinicians must supplement their income with private practice and/or per diem work at hospitals, etc. or have partner with a more “reasonable” salary which affords them to practice their “glamour job”/social work. On the bell curve of social work, of course, there will always be the select few (usually men who are more easily promoted to management ranks, despite having little to no more experience or talent than female social workers) who will command good, competitive salaries. However, the real truth is that the average, dedicated, hard-working, intelligent/literate, masters level prepared social worker will only hope to achieve $50-60k in the course of their career, if lucky and if employed in just one job at a time. As many have mentioned, until the profession is repackaged, the generic job of social worker will be viewed by society as an ancillary service somewhat equivalent to a blue collar office clerk position.
Moreover, I want to validate the gentleman who confessed to identifying himself professionally as a psychotherapist with a masters degree in social work, rather than a social worker. This is a viable option for gaining more respect in the work force and health profession, although not the ideal solution to the bigger dilemma.
I understood from a staff member at NASW that the title of psychotherapist can only be used by Psychologists. It came about when we fought for the law that only degreed social workers could call themself a social worker. I’ll admit – and wonder if others will too – that when I say I am a social worker – I don’t feel like I will get the respect I deserve. It is such a generic title. I am a LCSW that does psychotherapy. Anyone else feel similar?
That’s interesting about the Psychotherapist thing because I had never heard that before so then I went to look it up. I do understand what you are saying about people feeling like they would get less respect by saying they are a Social Worker, but Social Workers can be Psychotherapist. Here is the link that I found this information: http://www.mentalhealthchannel.net/psychotherapist.shtml. The bottom line is the big problem is people calling themselves Social Workers when they do not have a degree in the field. We need to have a law or something to not allow someone to call themselves a Social Worker without the proper credentials. This problem makes it difficult for other people to understand what we do, being respectful of our profession, and the low pay that we receive. I can go on and on because it so many different reasons. Social Workers continue to help our clients/patients/customers/consumer help themselves. Also, we need to do the same for the profession. Social Work is a wonderful profession, but we need to show other people that we know this ourselves by advocating for our profession.
There IS CURRENTLY a LAW in the state of Ohio, that DOES allow individuals working for the Cuyahoga County Dept. Of Family and Children’s Services to call themselves “social workers” (although they are actually Social Services Workers—as their business cards reflects) in the line of their daily work as a county employee. I was floored several years ago when I saw an article in the newspaper about an individual working for Cuyahoga County in the above department and the writer of the article called her a “social worker”—-I corresponded via email for a period of time with the Plain Dealer reporter and gave me facts and specific Ohio laws that were struck between politicians and the county to arrive at this agreement…..where was the licensing board through all of this? End result…..the profession became murky and lost integrity…..and yes! the salaries of the county employees could be dummied down with the lack of credentialing and required education in order to be a licensed social worker. I have spoken with several professors at CWRU—about this concern……as have others—–think abouot it—-going to Case for a masters at the tune of almost $30,000 per year—a 2 years program and coming out and making about $30,000 per year—-shy a Social Services Worker at county in Cuyahoga can make much more than that with over time and all—and never have to go for that degree of licensure………now!………THAT is nuts!!!…….and YES!…….”licensed” social work is a wonderful and rewarding field………but the reality is……….our field needs to wake up and advocate for the professionalism of out field.
In response to who can call themselves a PSYCHOTHERAPIST—that is a generic term that no one discipline has a strong hold on—-licensed counselors, social workers and psychologists and psychoanalytically trained psychiatrists can refer to themselves as a psychotherapist. In terms of a psychologist………..only a Ph.D psychologist can call themselves a “psychologist”—-someone with a masters degree in psychology has to refer to their title as a “psychological assistant.”
Florida recently passed a law after ten years of trying that makes the term “Social Worker” a protected Title just like “psychologist”. You must have an MSW or a BSW and/or be licensed. Remember only an MSW or a BSW (And sometimes the PhD in Social Work) are really social workers. Don’t be afraid to ask someone who calls themselves a social worker, “Where did you complete your social work program?”. If they have not completed a social work program, don’t be afraid to follow-up with, “Oh, you are a social service worker, not a social worker. Only BSW’s and MSW are social workers!.” (Not the mention the PhD in Social Work)
PS.. No extra points for stating this in a snobbish manner. It is simply a statement of FACT!
Right on, Harvey!! It is not being a snob to ask someone if they are a (licensed) social worker—vs. a social services worker—or has a masters in social work or counseling and are not yet licensed—-those are BBBBB—-IIIIIIIIII——GGGGGG differences!!
I don’t like these threads… I am like some of the comments and contributions, such as enhancing your degree with other skills from the business world or obtaining a certificate in nonprofit management, advocating for having a protected title, etc…
I feel threads like this set us up against each other. In some of the posts, even though this is my first time posting, I felt attacked. I feel like it is okay to voice your thoughts and opinions, but don’t do so in a way that demeans or belittles others.
I love social work. Yes, I think we are underpaid, but rather than gripe and complain about advocate for fair treatment in the field. Do not attack one another.
We live in a capitalist society. While the thinking is flawed (saving money is making money), people who “generate” revenue are paid more than people who do not. College coaches will probably always make 200% more than well-respected scholars because colleges want the money generated by winning football teams. Very unfair considering that the former has 6-8 years less formal education than the latter.
Naming every industry that requires less years of education than ours and insisting that, because they just have an associates or BA degree and we have Masters Degrees, is not only an ineffective strategy to improve our situation, it is also ill informed.
The course work to get a BA in engineering is incredibly difficult and requires hours of intense studying. I had a tutor in college who was an engineering student….he easily studied 3 to 4 times the amount that I did. While he spent less years in higher education than me (he stopped after a BA), his intellectual achievements and ability, in many respects, are far superior to mine.
Invalidating other’s worth stems from a scarcity mentality and the need to make others less than to feel better. We can acknowledge that others deserve a high standard of living while also fighting for better standards for ourselves.
I am not advocating for engineers or other industries (I love being a social worker!), I am just trying to add a rational, alternative perspective to a predominately emotional and anecdotal discussion.
Lastly, it is amazing how some posters are trying to explain away my abundance and beliefs. I am not rich, upper class, a straight white man or even a man. I also have no reason to lie about my salary or that of other social workers…what would that accomplish? **I have trained myself to save my money (even when it was only $1 a week), spend wisely, and ALWAYS work smarter and not harder.**
In general, I agree that social work is a low pay, high stress profession. Conversely, I feel that many people that go into the field are motivated by the intrinsic rewards of helping others.
For social workers who are mental health providers, NASW has done a great job in lobbying and helping licensed providers in achieving greater parity.
Thank you to all those in NASW who do an outstanding job in advocacy, lobbying and pushing thru legislation that not only supports social workers, but also supports the clients that we serve!
E. A. Wahrburg, MSW, LCSW (NC, NY)
To be a Registered Nurse only takes an Associate Degree and two years and they start making $62,000. They are encourage to pass their license exam. In their school they are tested over and over to make sure that they pass it. In Social Work at least the school where I attended states that they were not responsible to prepare the student for the test. I have failed the test numerous times. In graduate school we did more essay papers that did practice test like the one required to do the license test. Yet still I have to pay my student loan, pay my rent , auto insurance. I always wanted to be a Social Worker but if I was younger or just came out of high school I would of preferred to be an Registered Nurse. I wish the School of Social Work in the entire nation. I hope they get the number of students interested in Social Work. in the future. Because first of all you better have a job before going to Social Work School because when you graduate if you haven’t pass the license exam you will not get a Social Work job. The license test, the low salary, the internship, the thesis, the papers that are required the Association of Social Work should advocate for Social Workers. Instead they are just there to make money. The cost for the license test is going up from $175.00 to $260.00. Message to future Social Work students: CONSIDER IF YOU REALLY WANT TO BE A SOCIAL WORKER.
I completely agree with JDRY. I have been a medical social worker for 24 years. The person who hired me 20 years ago was a social worker and also had an MBA degree. She told me 20 years ago that she was only in her position of authority because of her MBA, certainly not her MSW. She moved out of town to another hospital and her MSW degree did nothing to assist her in obtaining a similar position of authority. Her MBA degree again is what allowed her to obtain a second job, rather late in her career. I became disgusted after several years of working 4 jobs to make a decent living and decided to obtain my MBA degree. Best decision of my life!!
Employers have responded to me by raising their eyebrows and arranging interviews for me because of my MBA degree, NOT my MSW degree. Their response to the MSW is “oh, that’s nice” but employers are looking for the skills that an MBA program affords for any supervisor level positions.
I have enjoyed the work that I have done however if I were to do it all over again, I would certainly invest my money in an MBA or MHA program instead of an MSW.
When I graduated with my MSW degree, I professed that I was done with school and would never enter another educational program again. I thought it would be “enough”. Over the years, I found that all that I had hoped this MSW would do for me, was not happening. It took some time for me to accept the fact that I needed something more in order to advance my career.
It is difficult to compare one profession against another, however I can confirm that even in a social work administrative position in a healthcare setting, I have three times the education of nurse directors and not only earn significantly less than they do but I have subordinate nursing staff with less education who report to me and earn more than I do as their director, all because my position is still classified as a social work administrator.
It is the image of the profession that causes this disparity in pay to occur. I have the business skills, the degrees and a million credentials at the state and national level behind my name but in order to be paid commensurate with my education and experience, I have had to abandon any position even remotely associated with social work.
People will continue to leave the profession or think twice about entering it with limited advancement, and pay that does not value the skills utilized by someone with a MSW degree.
I’m finding this thread very enlightening and validating…and somewhat, sad. It’s sad to conclude that the profession really has not been able to develop throughout the years to address societal needs, both financially and socially, as well as others. M.B.A.’s input really says it all and puts the state of the profession in modern perspective. Again, the real challenge ahead will be to redesign the whole social work mission to better fit the needs of the cultural and market demands. Would be interested to hear the opinions of NASW, Schools of Social Work administrators, staff, etc. and other governing bodies, about the feelings and concerns that have been addressed here and a realistic (capitalist-focused) analysis of future plans for the profession.
If you have your Masters, work for the VA. they pay their social workers awesome, have great benefits and on an on. I started at 33K in 1999 and now make 88K as a Supervisory Social Worker in a small town in Texas. Make the Change!
Let me add further to my comment. The Department of Veterans Affairs also offers it’s Social Workers CEU’s, LCSW Supervision, Annual Leave, Sick Leave etc. You can work various jobs from working with combat Veterans to counseling to outreach to homeless Veterans. They offer many rewarding careers and the ability to travel around the country. I wouldnt change a thing!
This has been such an enlightening thread! I have been a social worker for 26 years, and work for the US Army, in substance abuse counseling. I started out life as a Medical Technologist, the folks who do your lab tests, and their work can have immediate life/death consequences (like cross-matching blood). We were paid less than social workers back then! So I made the decision to go back to graduate school. I work for the Army; what I’d originally planned to do with the MSW was changed because of my experiences will the military, and I can truly say, despite some crazy decisions that have been made by the “Powers that Be,” I love my work, I love my patients, and I’m grateful for being a social worker. Federal Service pays well, as LCSW says above. The benefits are great: I spent over 20 years living in Italy and Germany! Annual leave, sick leave, training. And yes, social workers don’t get the respect we think we deserve, but if that’s why someone went into the field, they need to rethink their reasons. But what I’m seeing in these letters is that we need to advocate for ourselves! We need to learn how to present ourselves as professionals. The army is having great difficulty getting qualified licensed, substance abuse credentialed providers. And even social workers for mental health treatment. Consider checking out usajobs.com, type in 185 for the job series, and either social worker or supervisory social worker for the job title. So if you don’t think you are paid enough, then get involved with NASW at the local, state or national level, or change jobs in social work. The federal government is hiring.
I have been a Medical Social Worker for 6 years and I enjoy every minute of it. I went into this field because of the gifts God has given me such as encourager, motivator, advocate, and empowerer. I couldn’t find any better field to use my gifts than Social Work, but at the time I expect to be compensate for what I do. I agree with Donna who mentioned that people have different standards when it comes to what you consider making enough money. For instance, a Social Worker whose husband is a physician does not have an issue with how much $ she makes because her husband can very well support her financially. I also think overall were not paid enough for all that we do. We must advocate for ourselves and stop picking on each other. People have the right to voice their opinion and still be respected for their beliefs. Let’s be mindful of others and be more professional. I also think we need to be more involve in professional associations such as NASW and local chapters that involve in changing policies, regulations affecting our profession. I strongly suggest we empower one another and become more supportive of our colleagues and co-workers and also of our profession. We have many good qualities to share with other professions. Let’s count our blessings. We are in a good profession. I also agree that we need to add some business courses to the SW programs which will enhance our profession.
Great points. I am trying to get into Federal Government. I just have one comment about respect. I am first and foremost a human being so if anyone disrespects me I will put them in their place. I don’t care what profession you are working because nobody has the right to disrespect me. I don’t care how much you make and how many degrees you have. You do not have to put up with anyone disrespecting you whether you are a Social Worker or any other profession.
What was I thinking?
I am seriously in a social work job where I work 10 + hrs. a day and take paperwork home just to try to make sure “the “state” doesn’t come down on the facility. Management seems to have no clue how hard we work. I can’t believe I thought getting my master’s degree was going to give me the quality of life I so want, for myself and others.
I tell ya, I heard a joke once that a doctor retired to sell t-shirts on the beach in Cancun. That is sounding pretty good right now.
I wish you all well.
Linda Lipscomb-
Trying working in a child welfare agency with an MSW and LSW-starting out at $20,000 a year and after 6 years working there making about $25,000 (with on-call/overtime money). You wanna talk about burn out and secondary traumatic stress!!?!!? That’s on top of the fact that along with the fact that we are doing social work, we have to carry the hat of soooo many areas of the field. I agree with many who say, we got into this field knowing that we wouldn’t get rich, but it’s not right when you are working 2-3 jobs just to support your family after you got your graduate degree…or making only above what the poverty line is (thus not allowing you to qualify for assistance in the state of PA) which is a whole other cluser f*$# of system besides child wefare!! People need to take more effort in advocating!
Good afternoon,
I am not sure if anyone is still reading this thread, but I have been thinking a lot about the administration and the MBA comments.
Currently, my state is going through a major budget crisis and my organization is about to have a second round of layoffs. We are doing much worse than many other local behavioral health departments because of the poor decisions made by my boss….an incredibly hard working social worker and great therapist (years of institute training).
A skilled LCSW was selected to run a business; she has ZERO business training and has run the center headfirst into the ground.
***Question: would we let an MBA, with no social work training, be a therapist?*** NO! Why then, do we allow social workers with no business training to run agencies? Shouldn’t administrators be trained in effective business models/strategies?
There is a major need for social workers with business sense to step up and fill this growing need.
Oh, and happy 2010,
AP
While I’m glad to see that so many people are adamant about how much they love what they do for other people, I can’t help but feel discouraged at the thought that people don’t feel we should be compensated appropriately. Helping others and loving to help others gives a great sense of satisfaction, but it doesn’t pay my bills. How long will it be before I’m going to be the one that needs help?
Not to mention, I’m appalled at some of the people that are allowed to obtain MSW’s sometimes. It’s like we’re doing it to ourselves. I hear a lot of talk about advocating for ourselves, but who’s actually doing something about it? Let me know, because I want in. I’m tired of being overworked and underpaid.