Social Work Career Possibilities Go Beyond Clinical and School Settings
Success as a social work professional is defined by all you do to improve the lives of others. There are many different ways social workers can provide needed help. Among other things, they support older patients with serious health conditions, counsel victims of domestic violence, and advocate for policy changes to address racial inequities. Social workers are employed in settings—from community-based agencies and schools, to outpatient clinics and hospitals, to residential care facilities—that offer a diverse range of opportunities to help communities, organizations and individuals.
Whatever population group or field of practice you’re interested in, advanced education in social work is a vital step to expand your options and prepare for success in practice and leadership roles. State regulations vary, but to be licensed in New York, for example, you must hold a Master of Social Work (MSW) and become licensed before you can progress beyond entry-level positions. This article will explore some of the rewarding careers in social work that will be open to you after you earn your master’s degree and the skills you’ll need to make the greatest possible impact.
What Is a Master’s of Social Work (MSW)?
MSW programs equip students with the advanced knowledge and skills needed to support individuals, communities and organizations effectively. Core subject areas include:
- Research Methods: Teaches students to evaluate data and evidence critically and ensures their approaches to social work are grounded in proven strategies.
- Human Behavior: Prepares students to address diverse client needs by examining human development and behavior across the lifespan through approaches that recognize culture, race, gender, socioeconomic factors and critical frameworks like social justice and intersectionality.
- Methods for Clinical Assessment and Intervention: Offers tools for identifying client challenges and implementing personalized solutions.
- Theories of Social Work: Helps students develop frameworks for addressing individual and systemic issues with a holistic approach.
Through electives, students can dive further into specialized areas of practice, such as gerontological social work or mental health counseling.
All CSWE-accredited MSW programs also include a practicum component where students engage with populations in real-world settings. This allows students to implement learning outcomes and integrate theories with practice. A practicum also helps students gain experience, understand processes and discover which aspects of social work they want to specialize in.
While there are bachelor’s in social work programs, becoming a clinical social worker or advancing to higher-level positions typically requires a master’s degree in the field. Even for those who do not want to become licensed clinical social workers, an MSW can be a useful course of study with applications in fields ranging from health care to human resources.
What Careers Are Available With an MSW?
The MSW job outlook presents an array of possibilities to apply your expertise and make a difference in your career, all while earning a competitive salary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted faster growth in the field than the average for all occupations, projecting that positions for social workers will increase by 6% between 2024 and 2034.
Where Do MSW Graduates Work?
Social work graduates may be employed in these types of facilities and more:
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Criminal justice organizations
- Children’s welfare and services agencies
- Advocacy and community organizations
- Relief organizations
- Disability rights and services organizations
- Assisted living facilities and nursing homes
- While it’s impossible to list all of the careers available to MSW graduates, these are some of the most common pathways.
- Human resources: Organizations need professionals who are well-equipped to identify and evaluate appropriate candidates for specific positions, design and lead DEI initiatives, handle conflicts and more.
- Mediation: MSW graduates may work for firms or law offices to facilitate negotiations, resolve conflicts and mediate disputes before situations escalate to legal action.
- Corporate social responsibility (CSR): As more businesses focus on projects to support CSR objectives and programs, they look for individuals with an understanding of social systems, project planning, collaboration and more.
- Policy research, analysis and advocacy: MSW graduates can use their knowledge of social systems to develop policies related to housing, education, social justice and other public concerns.
- Nonprofit management: The MSW curriculum is good preparation for leadership roles in organizations focused on education, health, community services and other areas.
- Fundraising and grant writing: Students develop important research and communication skills in MSW programs that can be valuable for securing financial support for nonprofits, public agencies, community groups and charities.
- Mental Health Counseling
- Case Management
- Crisis Intervention
- Treatment Planning
MSW Jobs & Salary
Here are some of the jobs and corresponding salaries you can get with an MSW :
| Master of Social Work Job Titles | Nationwide Median Salary | New York State Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Child, Family or School Social Worker | $58,571 | $65,435 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $77,790 | $92,594 |
| Community and Social Service Specialists | $54,839 | $63,832 |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $68,102 | $67,250 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $60,645 | $80,384 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | $45,104 | $46,186 |
| Community Health Workers | $45,104 | $46,186 |
Source: Lightcast, 2025
*Salary will vary depending on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, experience, level of education and geographic location.
Master of Social Work Salaries: How Much Can You Earn?
With advanced education and specialized skills, MSW graduates are typically qualified for higher-level positions, such as roles in clinical social work or administration. These positions offer increased salary potential when compared to other jobs in the field of social work.
Overall, obtaining an MSW not only enhances one’s professional capabilities but also increases earning potential.
Impact on Salary: Is Earning an MSW Worth It?
According to Lightcast, jobs requiring a master’s degree in social work advertised salaries that were 15% higher than jobs requiring only a bachelor’s degree in social work.
| Degree Level Requirement | Advertised Salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $53,400 |
| Master’s Degree | $77,200 |
Source: Lightcast, 2025
Exploring MSW Careers
Child, Family or School Social Worker
These professionals specialize in improving the well-being of children and their families. Child and family social workers are often employed by schools, but they also work for state and local government agencies, community service organizations, residential care facilities and social advocacy groups. In each context, experts provide resources and guidance to young people who are concerned about their mental health, live with disabilities, face dangers like abuse or have become victims of cyberbullying and online harassment. In roles as family advocates or support specialists, social workers may also assist parents in managing hardships such as health problems, debt and addiction.
Social and Community Service Manager
Experienced social workers can become leaders within organizations that address problems like homelessness, substance abuse and hunger. Nonprofits, for-profit service providers and government agencies develop programs that connect populations with the direct assistance or information that they need to be healthier and safer. An effective service manager analyzes data to inform how those programs can achieve the best results within a community and carries out strategies accordingly. Managers should be strong communicators who can motivate the social workers and other professionals under their supervision as well as report to program administrators or donors.
Medical and Health Services Manager
Experience in social services is one path toward a leadership role in a healthcare organization such as a hospital, clinic or public health agency. A manager may be tasked with directing and training a staff of healthcare social workers, ensuring that employees consistently provide high-quality services to patients, comply with regulations and stay current with licensure requirements. These jobs call for the administrative skills to keep operations running efficiently and maintain the security of medical records, but managers should also be highly capable communicators who are prepared to address the problems of both patients and their care providers.
Healthcare Social Worker
Adjusting to an illness or injury can be extremely difficult for patients and their families alike. Social work professionals in healthcare settings advise patients as they manage lifestyle changes or other traumatic experiences. Their responsibilities include providing referrals to useful resources and support groups, offering guidance to family caregivers and discussing the emotional or psychological needs of patients with their healthcare providers. As a medical social worker, you can help people who are undergoing treatment or rehabilitation in any stage of their lives.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
It’s vital for every social worker to promote psychological health and address the effects of trauma, but some focus specifically on assisting people who live with mental illness or addiction. Mental health social workers may work in a hospital or an inpatient psychiatric treatment center where they meet with clients in individual or group settings. These discussions can touch on the challenges of adherence to a treatment plan as well as other everyday struggles such as poverty or substance abuse. These specialists often collaborate with medical experts to develop treatment plans and communicate with family members about the best strategies for doing their part to help.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder and Mental Health Counselor
Overcoming addiction is a physically, mentally and emotionally taxing journey that typically involves setbacks and relapses. Counselors who have a social work background can provide a holistic perspective as they guide people who have problems with substance abuse through a recovery plan. Often, that means referring clients to other services and resources, such as psychiatric care or specialized therapy, that address co-occurring challenges in their mental health or overall well-being.
What Can You Do With an MSW Besides Social Work?
MSW graduates develop strong communication, empathy and critical thinking skills through coursework, field placements and practical experiences. This extensive training in counseling, advocacy and community organizing enables them to excel in a wide range of industries and roles beyond traditional social work contexts.
A few areas with applications for advanced social work expertise include:
What Skills Are Important in Social Work?
Whether you’re interested in working directly with patients or moving into a management position, ongoing professional development is crucial to maintain social work licensure and achieve your goals. In a Master of Social Work program, you’ll delve into theoretical perspectives on social policy and services, gain field experience and complete qualifications for licensure.
In the state of New York, the most desired skills for positions in social work are:
Source: Lightcast, June 2024
Social Worker Skills
An MSW curriculum builds the essential skills needed in the field, including:
Analysis and Problem Solving
To effectively work with clients or lead a social services organization, you have to think analytically about complex problems and identify the best way forward. The field of social work examines how the difficulties of individuals or communities are tied to broader socioeconomics conditions. When professionals develop a nuanced perspective on these relationships by performing research and collecting data, they can make better decisions about when and how to intervene.
Treatment Planning
Social workers create treatment plans by assessing individual needs, setting realistic goals and identifying appropriate interventions and resources. They then monitor clients’ progress, adjusting plans to ensure treatment stays relevant and effective. By offering tailored support, social workers experienced in treatment planning can help clients achieve recovery, stability and improved quality of life.
Research
It’s the responsibility of social work professionals to provide expert guidance, and that means they must keep up with the latest thinking and best practices in the field. A master’s program emphasizes strategies for finding valuable scholarly resources online or in print. You’ll deepen your understanding of how to design quantitative and qualitative studies, critically evaluate findings and explore methods to apply what you learn in your own practice. You’ll need to participate in continuing education to acquire and maintain your license, which brings many opportunities to engage with new studies and hear from peers.
Crisis Intervention
Social workers routinely come into contact with clients or patients during some of the most difficult times of their lives. Crises emerge from issues such as major change in a person’s life or health, tensions with family members or financial struggles. Social work professionals should have the awareness to identify when an event goes beyond normal stresses and take steps to defuse the situation, directing the individual through coping techniques and recommending resources for proactively managing emotionally overwhelming events in the future.
Mental Health Assessment
A social services career frequently involves helping people who live with mental illness, including both longstanding conditions and the challenges caused by new situations like a recently diagnosed medical problem. It’s important for professionals to familiarize themselves with theories of human behavior and know how to classify different types of mental illness, such as substance abuse, states of anxiety, personality disorders, dementia and schizophrenia. That understanding allows social workers to evaluate each client’s mental health status based on factors like physical appearance, speech patterns, emotional state and thought processes.
Empathy
Social workers and leaders in related fields should always be highly sensitive to others’ experiences and feelings. For example, a large proportion of U.S. social work clients are either born in another country themselves or the children of immigrants or refugees. Professionals need to be conscious of the stress and trauma that can be involved in these families’ experiences and adapt programs and policies accordingly.
By completing an online Master of Social Work program, you’ll acquire the conceptual knowledge and hands-on experience that you can apply to improve clients’ lives and achieve your professional objectives.
About Adelphi’s Online MSW
The highly respected School of Social Work at Adelphi has a long history of producing leaders in social work and helping to shape social policies. Since 1951, we have continually been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, and Adelphi’s social work graduate program, available online or on campus, now ranks in the top 25% of the country, according to US News & World Report. Our faculty are expert practitioners and researchers, having published across the full range of topics within the field—including disparities in healthcare, child advocacy, the role of social workers in shaping policies and more.
The Online Master of Social Work program brings the combined decades of expertise and legacy of Adelphi’s leading social work school to a flexible curriculum designed for working professionals. Because building relationships is essential to the social work field, we include two annual residency experiences, which can be completed online or on-campus. We are proud of our ability to deliver personalized attention in the online classroom. Our graduates complete the program prepared to become Licensed Master Social Workers and begin rewarding careers.
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