Social work is one of the most rewarding fields you can choose to pursue. However, becoming a social worker isn’t quite as simple as studying the subject for your bachelor’s degree and applying for a job. There are several other steps you need to take before you can call yourself a professional social worker.
This guide will break down how you can become a social worker in a step-by-step analysis.
IN THIS GUIDE
- What does a social worker do?
- Get a BSW
- MSW degree
- Fieldwork requirements
- Social work licensing
- Social work career paths
- Social worker salaries
- Expert advice
Understand what a social worker is and does
A social worker can be a lot of things. The career field is incredibly varied, even for something that requires at least one dedicated college degree! Social workers focus on helping communities or individual people based on their specialty and goals. They study problems and work on solutions by using psychological or sociological viewpoints and concepts.
This means social workers are suitable for jobs like:
- nonprofit organization leaders
- school counselors and administrators
- therapists and mental health specialists
- and much more
Social workers can find employment in a wide variety of institutions and organizations. They might work for nonprofits, hospitals, or government agencies, or come up with their own practices where they assist clients on an individual basis. As a result, social work can be a very rewarding field for lots of people, in large part because you can tailor your career to what you’re most interested in.
However, becoming a social worker requires a lot of hard work. Therefore, you should make sure you want to become some kind of social worker before committing to this path. It will take at least a solid decade of schooling and practical experience before you’re settled in your career.
Get a bachelor’s degree
The first step to becoming a social worker, in most cases, is to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the field. Note that you don’t necessarily need a bachelor’s degree in social work to become a licensed social worker (more on that later). But having a bachelor’s degree in social work specifically can provide you with a leg up when you get to the graduate level education part of the process.
Still, you can move on to the next up with any kind of bachelor’s degree that is at least tangentially related to social work. For this reason, bachelor’s degrees in fields like communication, psychology, or sociology are also fine.
In addition to a bachelor’s degree, most social workers find they need a master’s in social work (MSW) in order to practice in a specialized area.
You can obtain either a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field using an online or on-campus program. You’ll want to work hard to maintain good grades throughout your entire schooling so that it’s easier for you to get admitted to a master’s level program and proceed with the next step.
If you do decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work, you’ll take classes in the following subjects and more:
- human behavior and social environment
- social work practices
- social welfare policies
There’s one other advantage to focusing on a bachelor of social work as opposed to a general bachelor’s degree. Some schools allow you to take an accelerated program and complete both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work within five years instead of the regular six. So it might be a great choice if you want to proceed to your own practice or jump in your career ASAP. Still, these pathways require fantastic grades and a lot of determination, and can only be pursued full-time.
Obtain a master’s degree (MSW)
A master’s degree in social work, also called an MSW, is where things really get serious. A master’s degree in this field is a necessity if you want to obtain social worker licensure. Becoming a licensed clinical social worker is an important step (and in some cases required) in some states to practice certain kinds of social work.
Like with bachelor’s degrees, there’s a wide variety of both online and on-campus master’s in social work programs for you to pursue. However, we would recommend finding accredited MSW programs that are pre-qualified by the Council on Social Work Education. In a nutshell, this organization vets various MSW programs, determining whether the content within them will adequately prepare you for the challenges you’ll experience in your social work career. They also provide a plethora of educational and social work study materials.
You can still pursue a master’s in social work without it being accredited by the CSWE. But it might leave a few gaps in your education that will require you to scramble more when it comes time for your fieldwork hours.
Most MSWs take two years to complete, provided you enroll in a full-time capacity. You might be able to complete these in 12 to 18 months if you combine them with an accelerated bachelor’s level program. But you can also complete these on a part-time basis if you need to work or take care of your family at the same time as completing your education.
Furthermore, many of the best MSW programs include fieldwork as a requirement for graduation. This is important in a big boost to your progress toward becoming a social worker because you need several hundred hours of fieldwork before you can take licensure exams. Lots of traditional MSW programs will have you complete around 20 hours of fieldwork over the course of your studies. These are great opportunities to practice your budding social work skills since you’ll be able to take the stuff you learn in class and directly apply it to real-world situations.
However, these may not be available during your program depending on how you’re studying. For instance, you might not be able to reach a clinic where you can do your fieldwork while completing your school if you attend an online program. So you’ll have to do these hours independently on your own time.
Aside from fieldwork hours, you should also keep an eye out for any internship or work experience opportunities that might benefit you during your time at school. These are invaluable experiences that allow you to gain work experience that you can place on your resume to make it easier to find employment after graduation. They’re also great chances to see what kind of field you want to specialize in as you complete your master’s degree.
Finish fieldwork requirements
You’ll either complete your fieldwork requirements as part of your accredited MSW program or you’ll need to finish those fieldwork hours on your own time. These are creditable hours where you visit a clinic or another social work location and are supervised as you perform practical duties and learn how to “be” a social worker. Many other medical fields have similar requirements in order for their professionals to acquire licensure.
Fieldwork will usually take place at a facility that is geographically close to your school. If you take an online program, you’ll normally be given a choice of several nearby facilities that you can commute to on certain days of the week for a few hours each time.
As mentioned, traditional MSW programs will include 20 hours of fieldwork over several days throughout the week during both years of your studies. The program is also usually tailored to whatever state requirements demand for fieldwork hours. The exact amount will vary, but expect to need between 1000 and 2000 fieldwork hours before you have enough to apply for state licensure.
Again, consider what kind of fieldwork you complete or what field hours to sign up for, as these can affect what social worker specialty you want to focus on.
Get your state license
State licensure is required if you want to become a practicing social worker in your state. There are two main types of social work licenses that you can pursue.
However, either type will usually require:
- a master’s degree in social work
- either two years or a set number of supervised clinical experience
- that you pass a licensure exam
Clinical licensure
You need to obtain clinical licensure if you want to become an LCSW or licensed clinical social worker. As the name suggests, a clinical social worker is someone who is licensed to provide clinical services to their patients. This includes psychotherapy, general counseling, and other social work where the goal is to directly help an individual person, family, or small group.
Say that you want to become a school counselor or run your own private social work practice. You’ll need a clinical social worker license in this case.
Can you achieve licensure for lower education requirements?
Yes. But the majority of social worker positions require you to have a master’s degree and have an appropriate license for that level of education. For instance, you can become a licensed social worker associate so long as you have an associate degree in social work and have completed 1000 hours of board-approved education in social work.
These may allow you to get certain entry-level jobs in social worker fields, but you’ll eventually need to move up the educational ladder to become a “real” social worker. Additionally, these licenses don’t allow you to open your own practice and help patients individually.
The licensure test
The licensure test requirements and exact content will vary from state to state and the level of licensure your pursuing. However, most of the tests are pretty similar to one another.
For instance, the Massachusetts master’s exam to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) requires you to submit an application for the exam to the board before doing anything. They’ll review your educational level and make sure you’re qualified to take the exam. This also includes a fee, usually over $150.
After being approved by the board, you’ll be able to take the test after registering for an approved date and licensed testing location. Testing locations are normally found at local universities or clinics.
The Massachusetts exam, for example, consists of a four-hour multiple-choice test with 170 questions. The exam also requires another fee of $230. Provided that you pass the test, you’ll get your LSCW license shortly thereafter and be licensed to practice social work in a clinical context within the state of Massachusetts.
What about transferring to another state?
If you want to practice social work in a state other than the one in which you currently have licensure, you’ll need to take another licensure exam for that state. You’ll also need to pay any extra fees. So we’d heavily recommend that you consider where you want to pursue social work before obtaining your license.
You can obtain your education for social work anywhere; the only thing that matters for state licensure is where you take the test. This is because each state has slight differences in what they want their clinical social workers to focus on.
Licensure renewal
Even after obtaining your license for the first time, you’ll need to periodically renew the license. The purpose of this is to ensure that all licensed social workers remain up-to-date on current best practices for this medical field. The requirements for this “continuing education” will vary from state to state depending on the local social work board.
Some states might require that you study new or up-to-date practices for a set number of hours every year. Others might require you to take classes at local universities every couple of years.
You’ll need to renew your license every two years regardless of state. You can find more about the exact licensure renewal requirements by visiting the National Association of Social Workers website.
Pick a career path
Once you’ve acquired licensure and finished all your educational requirements, you can then pursue employment as a real social worker. There are several career paths available to you based on your prior education, the type of licensure test you took, and your personal interests.
- Macro social work – this pathway will have you focusing on creating policy changes for local or statewide communities. If you want to affect social work change in a legislative context or influence governors, representatives, and other politicians, you’ll likely want to pursue this field. It’s also a viable path if you want to run a nonprofit social work organization at some point
- Clinical social work – you can start your own practice or work for a medical center is a licensed clinical social worker. Regardless of the exact setting, you’ll help patients one-on-one and assist them with diagnosing and dealing with mental illnesses. You can also pursue counseling for individuals as a licensed clinical social worker.
- Medical social work – many hospitals and medical centers need social workers. In this setting and career path, you’ll help families and support various patients during immediate crises and the aftermath. For instance, you can help cancer patients recover their morale or make peace with their affairs. This is very similar to clinical counseling, although it’s less focused on diagnosing and treating mental illnesses or dysfunctions.
- School social work – this is the career path for you if you want to become a school counselor. You’ll work directly with young people and their families, as well as school staff, and assist with conflict mediation, bullying prevention, and improve the mental health of students.
Ultimately, each of these career paths can be valuable and can provide a sense of meaning and a compliment to your life. They’ll also provide real help to those you interact with. Consider each path carefully as you proceed through your education choose your licensing fieldwork hours. This way, you’ll be prepared for your ideal career when everything is done.
What can social workers expect to make?
Social workers provide lots of benefits to society, and they enjoy a generally positive employment outlook as a result. Let’s break down what you can expect to make as a social worker across several different possible careers:
General social worker – According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, generalist social workers make an average salary of around $50,000 every year. This is a bit higher than the national average, and this career encompasses a wide variety of social work positions. Furthermore, the career looks to be growing at a much faster rate than average: 11% over the next 10 years. This will translate to another 81,000 jobs by 2028. All this is to say that becoming a social worker is a great idea if you want job security.
Marriage or family therapist – This type of social worker focuses on helping families and married couples negotiate through problems, deal with mental health crises, and strengthen their relationships. Many of them may work in private practices or in mental health centers. They earn an average salary of around $50,000 per year as well, and they’re expected to grow by about 22 percent over the next 10 years.
School and career counselor – These professionals work at schools, colleges, and career centers to help students and adults develop the skills and tools they need to succeed. They can help people figure out what career path is right for them, leading to more enriching lives overall. Additionally, school career counselors can help younger students in the day-to-day with bullying or social pressure. School and career counselors make an average of $57,000 every year and are likely to grow by about 8 percent over the next 10 years.
Social and Community Service Managers – These social workers focus more on communities and helping nonprofit organizations. They can assist with building and running social service programs, help communities set up their own support systems, and serve as local government leaders. Such individuals make an average of $67,000 every year and are set to grow by about 13 percent over the next 10 years.
As you can see, virtually every imaginable career path for a social worker leads to financial stability and excellent job prospects. You’ll almost certainly have to start at the bottom of the career ladder wherever you end up employed, unless you had a fantastic internship or work experience session while in school.
Regardless, there should be a lot of room to move up in the social work sphere over the next decade. This is great for job security overall; more social workers will be needed rather than fewer, so there should always be an opportunity to improve your practice, earn more money, or get a promotion.
Summary
So, all in all, these are the steps you need to take to become a social worker:
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree in either social work or a related field
- Obtain a Master’s of Social Work
- Finish a required number of fieldwork hours, usually between 1000 in 2000
- Finish any other requirements to acquire state licensure
- Take your state’s licensure exam and pay any fees
- Start applying for jobs within the state you’re licensed for
- Maintain licensure by taking another licensure exam every two years and/or by completing continuing education programs
Becoming a social worker requires navigating through a long and rigorous process designed to ensure that only the best people end up becoming the social workers that influence communities, schools, and medical practices. But it’s all worthwhile in the end. If you can make it through all these requirements, you’ll qualify for jobs that are stable, well-paying, and satisfying on a personal level.
Being a social worker isn’t just about, decent paycheck. It’s about helping others and enriching your community through care, attention, and education. We hope you’ll consider pursuing social work as your career!
Expert advice on becoming a social worker
- What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
- What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
- If you had to break all of social work down into fundamental skills, what would they be?
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
One of the most important things for social work students to be aware of is the power that comes with being a social worker. As a student sitting behind the desk or screen and struggling to juggle homework, fieldwork, and other responsibilities, it can be hard to feel empowered. Especially for MSW students who plan to become licensed, however, it is essential to be aware of the impact that social work has on people’s lives and to engage in ongoing assessment of our individual and collective practices to help ensure they are, in fact, in the best interests of others. To be effective change agents, I encourage social work students to reflect upon two important questions: “How will I use my voice?” and “How will I amplify the voices of others, especially those that have been marginalized and oppressed?”
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
Most social worker students I know entered this field because they want to make a positive difference in the lives of others. To accomplish this, social workers must learn how to effect change at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. One of the most useful, challenging, and rewarding ways that social work students learn to become change agents is through the field education experience. Field education not only teaches about change processes but also functions as a change process itself to help students develop a professional identity as a social worker.
How is the field of social work changing?
As a field, social work is going through its own change processes. One of the major changes we are undertaking is becoming more aware of the widespread prevalence and impact of individual, collective, and cultural trauma in our world and the disproportionate impact of systemic and structural violence and victimization on marginalized individuals and groups. We are working to identify and redress ways in which the profession inadvertently perpetuates the forms of oppression it seeks to eradicate. We are striving to not only teach about diversity, inclusion, and equity but also to become more diverse, inclusive, and equitable as a profession.
Another way the social work field is changing is through digital technology. Internet and digital communication technologies are now a fundamental part of our world. Since social work is a profession that assesses and assists people in the context of their environments, today’s social work trainees must develop digital literacy skills to practice in physical and virtual environments both competently and ethically.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
The need for holistic preparation that involves knowledge and skills, but also examination of one’s own places of strength and weakness, wounding and healing.
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
BSW/MSW programs that include the holistic preparation that I briefly describe above.
How is the field of social work changing?
I think it will continue to change with the demographic changes domestically. People versed in work with older adults as well as those bilingual in Spanish must grow among our ranks.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
Awareness of self is the most important aspect for preparing for a career in social work. Everything about you as a unique individual person with lived experiences has an impact on how you serve others in a professional helping relationship. Be willing to dig deep and do the work to know yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, bias and prejudices, and never stop striving to be the best version of yourself.
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
Social work is holistic, integrating evidence-based knowledge, values and ethics, competency-based skills, and cognitive and effective processes. Training that considers all aspects of social work generalist practice is the most useful to keep professionals grounded in the basics. Too many times we as professionals get so focused on our specialized areas of practice, we make the work more complex and complicated than it has to be….keep it simple and return to the basics of holistic practice.
How is the field of social work changing?
There are new fields of practice beginning in areas people often do not think about social work. For example, social work in sports and veterinarian social work are two that come to mind. Social work is also moving toward more advanced, higher education by seeking accreditation of doctoral level social work education as a terminal degree. Currently a master’s degree is considered a terminal degree in the field, but that is changing. Another area of potential change is nationally recognized licensure. Currently each state in America has their own licensing practices. Some states have multiple levels of licensure including baccalaureate, masters, special recognition, and clinical social work licensing. Other states only recognize one license as an LSW or LCSW. This inconsistency from state to state is problematic for the profession, and something that professional Social Work Associations such as ASWB, CSWE, and NASW are looking at.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
Relationships matter! This profession is all about how we engage with others. Our professional interactions include clients, colleagues, communities, and the various systems we need to navigate. As with all successful relationships, we must come to the work from a place of empathy, compassion, and respect. Equally important is our commitment to social justice and advancement of equality for all people.
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
We have this saying in social work education, “Practicum as signature pedagogy.” Social work educators understand the significance of a student’s internship experience and the importance of effectively connecting classroom and field. Students gain academic knowledge in class and have the ability for the practical application of these skills during the practicum. The field experience also provides an opportunity to better assess the student’s readiness for practice.
How is the field of social work changing?
The profession is becoming more global which I think is amazing! Our international collaborations are growing, and more and more students have the opportunity for international study and employment.
I have observed a shift throughout the course of my career from a micro perspective to a more macro focus. When I was in graduate school most students pursued the clinical track hoping to become a therapist and work with individuals, groups, and families. Now I have an increasing number of students choosing careers in policy development, government, and community activism. It is quite interesting and, in my opinion, exactly what the world needs right now, more social workers in large-scale decision-making roles.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
There are a couple of things that social work students should be aware of while they are preparing for career, which include:
Developing relationships that can be used for collaboration, networking, resource building based on your professional interest and surveying peers who have strengths in leadership areas or fields of service.
Attend professional conferences and gain at least five professional contacts entering the field.
Join professional organizations prior to graduation to get the student rate for a year and find ways to join the membership team or join committees.
Locate a person in the field (i.e. professor, presenter at a conference, director of an agency etc.) and consider a mentor request, so you can develop your skill-set and reach professional goals.
Make a career plan and profile to ensure you are staying “true” to your goals.
During your internships experience, determine the specialty or expertise of your supervisor and ask them to train you specifically on that skill.
Have at least 3-5 theories that relate to social work and diverse groups and know them for practice, application, and assessment purposes.
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
The most useful training for social workers is cultural competence, how to complete a biopsychosocial, trauma-informed care practices, and communication skills.
How is the field of social work changing?
The field is changing in terms of technology, as you need to be versed in your digital platforms. There is limited tolerance for racism and sexism and understanding one’s privilege and positionality is important. This is a generation of action and activism, maintaining the status quo is not acceptable and you will be “called out.”
If you had to break all of social work down into fundamental skills, what would they be?
Interdisciplinary acuteness
What does the future of social work look like?
Transformational leadership, advocacy, and social justice.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
I think the most important thing for social work students to be aware of is our profession’s commitment to social justice. We can take pride in this value that uniquely defines our profession and calls us to continuously uplift the voices of those in our communities who are oppressed or marginalized. The SW profession has never been more relevant or necessary in addressing the complex problems that are facing our world
How is the field of social work changing?
I believe that technology has changed every profession in dramatic ways. However, the importance of human relationships must never be replaced by technology. I have read that the social work profession is the least likely to be automated for this reason – human beings are necessary to do this work. While technology has undoubtedly changed the ways we do our work, it is imperative that we continue to ground our practice in relationship-based interventions. It is only in the context of supportive relationships that human problems can be effectively addressed.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
The most important thing for students to be aware of as they prepare for their career is to be aware of themselves. Meaning, their ethics, self-awareness, CSWE competencies, and awareness of their skills. It’s important that social workers know themselves before they go into the workforce.
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
In the current environment, I believe the best training social workers can receive is one that includes diversity, case management (because all levels of social work includes this), health, social and economic justice, and training on real-world experiences.
How is the field of social work changing?
The field of social work is changing where more awareness is being brought to new issues. New field options that were not available to social workers 20 years ago, are now options for those entering the field. Areas such as, environmentalism, criminal justice/working with police, and new technologies and intelligence.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
Social work is a diverse profession. Social workers do many things and can be found in many settings. There is no typical social work role. Social work is about partnerships, they don’t fix “broken” people, they help people along a path of self-determination in resolving issues that impact their lives. Social environments must be considered in providing assessment and assistance. Social workers need to understand their values and ensure that they don’t interfere with helping others. Social workers must be good at developing relationships with clients and others. Resources are a key tool and social workers must be good at cultivating resources. Social work is a profession, many others can do the various things that social workers do, but social workers have the skills and training to put it all together.
How is the field of social work changing?
The versatile nature of social work provides social workers with more and more opportunities. The roles of counseling and case management in the traditional micro roles have morphed in more problem-solving roles. School systems now see the need for social workers to help with student and family situations. The nature of mental illness and policing have defined roles for social workers to best respond to certain situations. Social workers are becoming more involved with policy by a range of activities from advocating on policy issues and providing professional input to activism and to be more vocal about necessary policy changes. With people more and more divided on a number of issues social workers need to be more aware of policy and the policy process. No longer can social workers avoid policy or they open themselves up to be victims of the policies that come down.
If you had to break all of social work down into fundamental skills, what would they be?
No matter what area of social work that you choose, people skills are the most important. The first work in social work is social. A social worker must be able to engage people and groups at all levels. Developing partnerships with clients and others is the key to getting results. Listening skills are important, not just listening but active listening to get clarity and cooperation. Advocacy skills are important as well. Social workers are often the voice of the voiceless, there is a need to engage in policy work to change unfair systems and achieve social justice. Self-assessment and self-evaluation skills round out the basics. Social workers must be able to constantly evaluate our practice and make adjustments, learning is an ongoing process. As a professional we can never be complacent in the skill set that we have developed.
What does the future of social work look like?
The future of social work is evolving. The unique skill set in the social work profession make social workers useful in a number of situations. Traditional social work roles will still be there. However, social workers can play key roles in emerging situations. Social workers provide vital services during the pandemic. Social workers can play a vital role in revising policing responses. Social workers need to be involved in the changing policy that impacts the clients and systems that we deal with. The social work profession has the skills that will make it a valuable asset to the issues that impact and will impact, in the future, people and society.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
The most important thing for social work students to be aware of as they prepare for a career in social work is they are entering a profession that will require lifelong learning and professional growth. The concept meta-competency best reflects the importance of a strong commitment to continuing education beyond licensure requirements. Meta competency is having the insight and knowledge about your professional limitations to identify what you don’t know. This insight usually drives social workers to seek additional training and education in areas they come to understand they have limited competency.
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
The professional context and auspices where social workers are employed is very diverse, so I don’t know that there is a most useful training. I believe an effective training method for social workers to learn or hone practice skills is live supervision or simulations. Training that places the social worker in a live situation where they can receive real time feedback, corrections or insights. At the University of Texas Permian Basin Department of Social Work we are integrating simulations in dedicated labs beginning in the Fall of 2021 that will prepare students for direct practice. We will also be testing the use of real time data to enhance students’ skills in assessment and rapport building.
How is the field of social work changing?
Social work is changing in the use of distance technologies, where the client and the social worker are in different physical spaces. I also believe social work is changing in the fundamental values that define our profession by allowing personal biases to guide who will become a client. For example, Texas tried to change the rules that govern professional social workers to allow them to deny services to LGBTQ and people with disabilities. This rule change was abruptly reversed but does suggest concerning trends in the profession. The social work profession is rooted in social justice and a professional value that all people have worth and should be treated with dignity, without judgment.
What do you think is the most important thing for social work students to be aware of while they prepare for a career in social work?
In my opinion, the most important thing for social work students to be aware of is that they should consider both their short- and long-term career plans. In my experience, many social work students prepare for careers in clinical social work practice without recognizing that within the first five to ten years of their career many of them will transition into supervisory or administrative roles. I would encourage students to pursue knowledge in clinical practice alongside building their capacity to provide supervision and manage and develop programs.
What do you think is the most useful training for social workers?
The most useful training for social workers is the field practicum experience. As the signature pedagogy of social work, the ability to integrate coursework alongside day-to-day practice is an invaluable starting place for a social work career.
How is the field of social work changing?
Probably not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the integration of technology within social work practice although this had been occurring on a smaller scale pre-pandemic. Technology not only includes flourishing telehealth services, but social work is also integrating apps more frequently, especially in clinical social work practice. Additionally, the field of social work appears to be in the midst of a new cycle of the integration between its social science and ethical orientations that is spurring a larger number of social workers towards socio-political action alongside clinical practice.