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What Jobs Can You Get with a Master of Social Work Degree?

Becoming a social worker can be rewarding in many different ways.  You can work in a variety of settings and environments as the skills you learn as a master of social work (MSW) are transferable to many populations. 

Examples of populations are: children, adolescents, adults, older adults, and families, veterans and military service members, LGBTQ, incarcerated and corrections, etc. 

Social Workers find employment in a variety of settings including:

• Social Work in a Shelter

  • Shelters for domestic violence or homelessness assist people to rejoin society

• Local community-based organizations social work

  • Settings include private, non-profit, adoption or faith-based agencies

• Gerontology Social Worker

  • Working with older adults in residential or nursing homes

• Local departments of social services social work

  • Local governments often have departments for child welfare and adult protective services. Religious organizations employ social workers such as Catholic and Jewish social service.

• Behavioral health/adult mental health

  • Here you will work with people  who may need help in substance abuse, health departments, medical care/hospice, EAP, school social work, or academia.

• Clinical Practice Social Worker

  • As a clinical social worker in direct practice, you could work with persons with developmental needs providing direct services or an employee assistance program (EAP) offering individual counseling.

• Macro Practice Social Worker

  • As a macro social worker, you could work in your local congressional office providing policy analysis and evaluation and/or legislative advocacy. 

• Social Policy or Law Clinic Advisor

  • With a MSW/JD, you could work in a setting developing social policy or a law clinic assisting persons with immigration needs.  

This is just a small sample of the MSW jobs in this growing employment field.  and is not inclusive of all employment options as a social worker.   We are looking forward to exploring more possibilities with you.

What is the Salary a Typical MSW Can Achieve?

• National Averages for MSW Salaries — $64,028

  • Social workers with a master of social work degree earn $64,028 on average, according to Salary.com. MSW salaries range from $57,520 to $70,750 depending on experience, academic degree, location, and level of responsibility.  

• National Catholic School of Social Service Graduates — $69,590

  • The average salary of recent NCSSS graduates is $69,590, according to a study done by Emsi, a labor market data research company. The report also shows that 80% of recent NCSSS graduates are working in the social work field. 
    The market for MSW jobs in Washington DC is very strong. The Emsi report showed that 81% of our MSW graduates surveyed found job in the DC area.