Comments on: NASW Responds to Article on Worst Paying College Degrees

By: Smarten Up

Smarten Up — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:50:28 +0000

I didn’t go into social work to become a millionare, however I refuse to starve. I am going to graduate this spring with my MSW and I am planning on getting a job at the VA. I’ve seen starting pay at the VA between $55k-65K. I also have an MBA. I think it is time for social workers to stop being satisfied with low wages. If you don’t like the job you are in and can afford to leave, then do it. A word to Jamie above, having your MBA doesn’t gurantee ANYTHING in this job market. I’m not playing dirty, I am interning at the VA and there are plenty of jobs within the VA system. Also, I am concentrating on Gerontology – go where the work is

By: Alternative Perspective

Alternative Perspective — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:40:48 +0000

Greetings Colleagues,

Is it possible for us to spend a minute rereading our posts before we click submit? Respectfully, if we want to be taken seriously, we have to present as professionals: this means writing a paragraph that people can understand and respond to.

Regards,
AP

By: jamie

jamie — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:30:18 +0000

I agree with Mary that social work is a dead-end profession. I have been unemployed 12 months since April 2009 with an MSW and LCSW. What social work schools WONT tell you is that the market is oversaturated with MSW’s, especially in the big cities. So the more MSW’s there are to choose from , the less these agencies can pay you. The highest paying social work jobs are the hardest to get and involve a lot of “dirty work” (politics in the workplace)- that are mostly in the hospitals and government- where I have both worked at. I even called my local NASW chapter for career advice and you know what they told me? that now is not a good time to be in the social work field- all the agencies are paying fee for service (no salary, no benefits) and no one will give you the supervision you need for independent licensure. If you want to help people, go volunteer in your free time, help your friends, families, neighbors, etc. but dont make it a profession. I wish I went for an MBA which my friends all have and are making good money at huge firms.

For those thinking about going for an MSW- talk to people who are in the field. not only the recruiters from the colleges but to practitioners at all levels and at different agencies. All of the jobs are in rural areas and in the elderly/hospice speciality. That is why the next big NASW conference is on end of life and not children/families- a very popular and oversaturated concentration.

i would love to talk to those who responded who are still in the field and what planet are they working on. Every agency/institution i have worked for allows clients to treat social workers like (expletive) and for management to treat social workers like (expletive).

By: Justin M

Justin M — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:39:42 +0000

I am planning to begin a part time MSW program this fall. I have a mixture of excitement and fear regarding the degree. I am 32 and I have a good paying job, but I have been wanting to get into a career helping others for years now. For the past 3 years I have been trying to decide between Social Work and Nursing. Fortunately, my wife is very supportive whichever way I go, but I am afraid of being able to provide for my family. It is nice to know that I can always find work as a Social Worker, but it’s disheartening to look at a career like nursing, which is more valued in society and more lucrative. It’s disheartening to see nursing job ads that will pay starting bonuses and help pay back student loans. When I researched Social Work salaries in my area, I found out that therapists start at around $30,000 per year. I think it makes aspiring Social Workers devalue themselves, their field and their degree when they aren’t paid equal to other lateral professions. It makes little sense in today’s world where there is such a need for Social Workers, that they are not more valued.

By: jeanine a

jeanine a — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:19:32 +0000

I have both a masters level social worker license and a masters level addictions certification and working for the state of maryland i only get $40,000. it IS hard to get more than that for an entry level masters level position in maryland.

By: Charity

Charity — Sat, 29 May 2010 02:49:38 +0000

It all depends, right now the veterans affairs is paying $58,000 and some MSW’s are walking in with a license getting $72,000. If you are the head of a non-profit organization you can make about $100,000 easily. It all depends on who you are and who you work for.

By: Ronda S

Ronda S — Fri, 28 May 2010 23:44:53 +0000

I am a LSW in Pennsylvania where nurse case managers with a 2 year degree or diploma make an average of $10 an hour more to start than a a LSW (required where I work). Not fair, but then again we don’t go into social work for the money but a decent wage would be nice!!!!

By: Elizabeth D.

Elizabeth D. — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:33:00 +0000

This is very disheartening. I did not see the article, but to hear all of your comments, I am reconsidering my decision to pursue a degree in social work. I am 33 with 2 kids, a mortgage, and a husband about to retire from the Navy in 3 (which means he’ll be starting over professionally). I, like many others, want to be a social worker and am not looking for an enormous paycheck, but I have to survive and help my family. I wanted to practice social work in the criminal justice field and eventually work towards an LCSW. That is a long journey to undertake if the financial benefit is so small. I truly want to help others and society but not at the expense of my family. I think now it is time to do some serious soul searching.

By: Jane Hyde, LCSW

Jane Hyde, LCSW — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:44:34 +0000

It is not always about the money when we become social workers but our passion for helping right wrongs, working with the disenfranchised, developing rapport with the mentally ill and advocating the acceptance of diversity and culture. We choose our paths but we must be assertive and firm in demanding equitable pay. Social workers, in what ever they do and however they define themselves, will continue to break barriers of social injustice–we are not about rebellion but are about advocating for others…we will always be needed!

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:18:51 +0000

There are no jobs in NY, let alone that pay well. The article is absolutely true and until NASW starts better promotion of the field, it is an absolutely useless degree. Sorry – but it is the truth! I make more now with a paralegal certificate than I did being licensed and holding an MSW. The universities are the only ones making money on this degree or, maybe, if you have a private practice in addition to an agency job. Social work is a dead-end profession.

By: Jeffrey Lebner

Jeffrey Lebner — Sun, 23 May 2010 17:04:13 +0000

I’m about to start a MSW program but this is very troubling. I won’t be able to have a family with that wage.

By: J Gilmer

J Gilmer — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:14:13 +0000

I agree with those social workers that feel we are underpaid for what we do. Our salaries have not kept up with the rising cost of living. Because we need continuing course work to keep our licenses and the cost of belonging to NASW and yearly licenses continues to rise, we are unlike many fields who have none of these expenses . I also know social workers who cannot afford to belong to NASW but beyond that I have friends that must purchase high deductible health insurance policies at high cost. We are definitely one of the lower paid master’s level professions. It is however, a labor of love and even though I was employed as an account executive in a previous life, I have never looked back or regretted my decision.

By: Petal

Petal — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:33:57 +0000

This is not encouraging to know at all as I just applied to a university for my MSW. Yes you want to be the voice for those who cannot speak, yes you want to make a difference in your community , you want to go home knowing that you have help to make a difference in someone life to day. However, we live in a high price economy, and our salary will be next to nothing, what is the survival rate with an income like this?

By: Beth Koon

Beth Koon — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:08:29 +0000

Thank you, NASW, for your prompt response to this article. It is important NASW advocates for its members by educating the public about our education, ethics and experience.

NASW also continues to promote higher, and more competitive salaries for professional social workers. NASW’s work toward research leading to evidence-based practices proving the efficacy and efficiency of our interventions. Just “knowing” we’re doing the right thing will no longer get us what we need salary-wise. Let’s prove how great we are!

I do challenge NASW to include the “non-traditional” areas of social work in which our profession is branching out. One example: health care quality improvement is a great field for LCSWs–our clinical skills are perfect for facilitating improvements in heatlh care safety, satisfaction and efficiency.

Rock on, NASW!!!

By: Hillary

Hillary — Tue, 18 May 2010 03:35:01 +0000

David-I am an LCSW and make $33,000. Every one of my colleagues with my credentials earns the same. Now you’ve heard of it!

By: vbrown

vbrown — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:42:58 +0000

When I began my journey to become a social worker, I was a single young woman with very few financial obligations. Upon completing my masters degree and becoming licensed, I was married. My salary was a comfortable supplement to our household income. Over the course of 10 yrs, 3 children, divorce and cost of living increases, what was once a comfortable supplement has become my only means of income. Through my eyes, social work salaries do not offer competitive pay, not even with the salaries cited in Dr. Whitaker’s response to the Huffington Post Article Re: Social Work Salaries. It isn’t about getting rich. It is about our livelihood and our responsibilities as parents while meeting the needs of others.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:24:52 +0000

Thank you for responding to them quickly. After raising four children and taking care of a sick mother, grand mother and grandfather (all are deceased) I decided it was time to pursue my degree in Human Services which is something I have wanted to do since I was young. I did not choose this profession to get rich. I chose this profession so I can be a voice for those who are not strong enough or able to speak for themselves. I chose this profession to help make a difference in someone’s life, my community and the world.

To Social Workers everywhere, Money can’t buy happiness. We understand better than anyone the joy we feel when we know a difference has been made. For us that’s payment.

By: Carol

Carol — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:09:20 +0000

I’m sorry to say that I agree with the premise of the article. After over 25 years of experience post-masters and working in Massachusetts, North Carolina and New Hampshire, my present salary is the same as my salary of 20 years ago. It’s so sad…but I have to add, I love what I do and have invested in my career with post-master fellowships and trainings and really feel I can make an impact in my field. While I am not compensated financially, the flexibility and versatility of the field is extraordinary. I also have made the choice to continue being a clinician rather than move into administration and teaching which offers higher salaries.

By: Diana

Diana — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:39:21 +0000

I am questioning the scales quoted by the NASW for social worker salaries. Is this information relevant to all social workers or only the social workers that belong to the NASW. That piece of information would be necessary to draw informative conclusions about payscales. I have worked with many social workers that could not afford to join the NASW, so that says something in itself and the payscales. These salaries seem to be representative of federal employees, not non-profits, or even state employees. So I question the payscales and where the data was drawn from to reach these conclusions.

I have been in the social work profession for 14 + years and am now working towards my DSW. I can truly say I went into social work to help others, however we all need money to survive on. Living in poverty is just not acceptable, especially in a profession where stress and burn out rates are high. The social work and the profession has got to start advocating for itself, improving our self image, payscales, benefits, and making licensure a national standard, as each states licensing regulations can significantly differ.

By: A. Reece

A. Reece — Sat, 15 May 2010 23:38:02 +0000

I’m currently in college as a double psychology and social work major and when my mom read that article she called to convince me not to become a social worker but a psychologist instead and have biology as my second major. Beautiful way to wake up in the morning.