Social Worker Salary
A profession that focuses on improving the quality of life and promoting social justice in a society, social work encompasses various areas like community development, community pedagogy, policy analysis and political participation. The most important tasks of professional social workers include social welfare policy evaluation, case management as well as practice development. Aside from these tasks, they are also responsible for providing for the medical and psychological needs of financially-challenged individuals. Learn more about them by looking at social worker salaries.
Salaries of Social Workers Based on Tenure
The salaries received by social workers depend on their length of service. For instance, those who have been practicing their profession for less than a year receive an average annual pay of $30,000 to $35,000, while workers who have been in this service for a year to 4 years get a mean yearly income of $35,000 to $40,000. Social workers who already worked for 5 years to 9 years receive an annual income of around $35,000 to $45,000. On the other hand, those who have been involved in social work activities for 10 years to 19 years get a yearly pay of approximately $40,000 to $45,000. Finally, professionals who served for at least 20 years have an annual pay of $45,000 to $50,000.
Salaries of Social Workers Based on Employment Type
Another factor that can affect the salaries received by social workers is their type of employment. If they are recruited by non-profit organizations, they can have an annual income of $27,000 to $36,000. On the other hand, those who work for state and federal government agencies receive a yearly pay of $28,000 to $44,000. Professionals who are employed by hospitals are paid $30,000 to $47,000 a year. Meanwhile, contractual social workers have a yearly income of $26,000 to $42,000. Social workers who work at foundations and universities can have a yearly income $28,000 to $41,000. Finally, those who prefer to be self-employed receive an annual salary of around $24,000 to $51,000.
More on Social Work
In order to become a professional social worker, one should finish a bachelor’s degree in social work. Aside from completing a baccalaureate degree, an applicant should also have a certificate for practicing this profession. To enhance the chances of landing a more profitable job, it is important to be knowledgeable about the different social work perspectives, namely the feminist perspective, ecosystemic perspective, strength perspective and generalist perspective.
A professional social worker can look for job opportunities at companies, non-profit organizations and hospitals. In addition, there are also numerous openings at governmental agencies and foundations. If you want to pursue a strong career in social work, it is important to possess excellent interpersonal communication skills, since you will deal with problematic or disturbed individuals. Moreover, it is necessary to learn the different levels of intervention to help other people. It is also important to participate in the development of policies concerning community development. Finally, you should allot enough time to know your clients and develop attachments with them.
