Career Options in Social Work

If you have ever wanted to help society, protect the innocent, give working-class and poor people a chance at the American dream, then a career in social work might just be the right move for you. As a social worker, your everyday job affects the quality of life of hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Learning more about a career in social work is the first step to helping others.

If you have ever wanted to help society, protect the innocent,  give working-class and poor people a chance at the American dream, then a career in social work might just be the right move for you. As a social worker, your everyday job affects the quality of life of hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Learning more about a career in social work is the first step to helping others.

Being a social worker is a very rewarding career because you are able to help others that may not be able to help themselves. Being a social worker lets your lend a helping hand to numerous people. In the next paragraph we will help you learn things that will help you learn more about become a social worker.

First, let’s look at the educational requirements for being a social worker. Most social workers have a bachelor’s degree in social work. Generally, the duration of the course is four years. Education will play a vital role in the fields of social work. The District of Columbia and the other states offer certification programs based on the knowledge you obtain in your social work degree course. Without a certification, you will not be able to serve as a social worker, those social workers who wish to become directors of departments or supervisors, and they need to acquire Ph.D. or DSW, which is a doctorate of social work.

In 2006 there were about 600,000 people who worked as a social worker, most of these jobs positions are located in more urban areas. There is often a perception that social workers generally work for government agencies but the fact is that three out of ten social workers actually do work for the government. Most social workers work in a type of health care that has to deal with people who may have material abuse problems, mental illnesses, chronic health care issues, etc.

What are the prospects of being a social worker? In the period of 2006 to 2016, the demand for the social workers is expected to increase by 22%, as per the study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The aging population in America is increasing and so the health issues will also be rising and so by the time 2016 comes we will need a lot more social workers to keep up with the number of the aging population.

Earning potential of a social workeris not bad either, social workers who work with children and family services earn a yearly salary anywhere from $29,590 to $49,060 in 2006, as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Public health and medical social workers earned around $34,110 to$53,740; state and local agencies earned around $32,530 to $56,420; and mental health and substance abuse social workers earned around $27,940 to $45,720.