7 Social Work Jobs for Aspiring Social Workers

Many people pursue careers in social work in order to give back to their communities and help others.

Social workers can take on various roles, including community service manager, medical and clinical social worker, and probation officer. Because social work jobs are in high demand, this career path is potentially more stable than others.

Social work jobs can be demanding due to the stress of the role and the work environment. However, social workers typically make more than the cost of living in most states.

Read on to learn more about some of the top jobs for professionals with a master’s degree in social work.

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

Below, explore seven of the top social work jobs you can pursue. Consider the minimum education requirement and whether the salary will cover your living expenses. Salary data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Payscale.

Social workers identify people and groups in need and help them respond to changes and challenges in their lives. Social workers can work in healthcare and school settings, as well as for state or local governments.

As a social and community service manager, you will work with community members and coordinate and supervise organizations or programs that support the public. Social and community service managers often work in nonprofit offices, government agencies, clinics, or social service companies.

Correctional treatment specialists and probation and parole officers interview and evaluate probationers and parolees. You will connect probationers and parolees to resources, write reports, and maintain client case files. You’ll likely work for the state or local government and may travel frequently to meet with clients.

Clinical social workers are trained to diagnose, treat, and provide counseling to clients dealing with mental health issues. You would work closely with healthcare providers.

A medical social worker — or a healthcare social worker — helps patients and their families deal with and recover from illnesses. This can include discharge planning. In this role, you may work in an outpatient clinic, hospital, or nursing home.

As a social services director, you will identify populations in your community that need extra support and operate programs or offer resources to those populations.

You may work with a specific population, like children or older adults. To do this work, you will likely analyze policies, develop and evaluate programs, and collaborate with other providers.

Clinical supervisors typically have a bachelor’s degree in social work. As a clinical supervisor, you will likely assess and review treatment plans, manage a clinical team, maintain standards, and support professional development.

The BLS projects many social work jobs to grow faster than the national average across all occupations (4%) from 2023-2033. Probation officer and correctional treatment specialist jobs are the exception, with the same growth rate as the national average. Regardless, the job outlook for social work careers is strong.

The fastest-growing social work jobs all require additional training and experience. All three of these social work jobs also work closely with the healthcare industry, which has been facing national workforce shortages.

Most social work jobs require a bachelor’s or master’s degree. However, there are social work jobs available to you at every level.

Most social work jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree, but with an associate degree in social work you can still pursue case manager assistant, social services assistant, intake coordinator, or community outreach worker roles.

Social worker and social and community service manager jobs usually require a bachelor’s degree in social work. However, you can apply for social work jobs with bachelor’s degrees in other subjects as well.

For example, a bachelor’s in another subject, such as psychology, may qualify you to work as a clinical supervisor or a social services director.

Clinical social workers typically need a master of social work (MSW) to practice. You will also need a license from your state and supervised clinical hours.

A doctorate in social work can help you start your career as a college professor, program administrator, or field researcher.