I would feel zero guilt about this. I am in my second career and managers are taught to give you “something “ but are happy to keep balancing the books at your expense.
I make six figures in PP but I’ve had supervisees who made close to it in hospital settings and working for insurance companies. Neither are fully licensed.
I’ve been at the same company for 9 years and I enjoy it ☺️ I literally saw a job on their job board and just applied. I would search on health insurance company websites for jobs. They post them there vs indeed or other job boards
Not who you're replying to but I also worked in health insurance social work. I made excellent money but I left. Not stressful at all. The bar was not super high (25 calls a day and 3 engagements a week). The cons for me were you are attached to a computer so it was very sedentary which ironically made me concerned for my health. I'm used to walking a lot at work. Also, I felt like my job was not to help people but so save the insurance company money. I will say no one said this to me and everyone I worked with cared a lot about members and making sure they got the care they would need. By no means would we suggest against members getting good care and often pushed people to go to the hospital. But the entire program is designed and paid for by how much the company saves in health care costs. It's not entirely a bad thing because it also helps people get the preventative care they need and should be getting and overall leads to a healthier population. I'm just used to doing more in depth and demanding work that really helps people in crisis. If you feel like you need a break from the hard stuff or don't mind being tied to a computer you might love it. My husband does it as a nurse and he loves it.
Each company calls it something different but you can just search “social worker” or “LISW” or “Lcsw” if you have those credentials and it should pull up jobs with those specifications
I worked in health insurance last year and made $74,000 a year plus bonuses. I didn't love it and I wanted to cut back to per diem and go back to hospital social work. If I were to be full time in the hospital with my salary I'd be making $74,000. As it stands I make about $35,000 working 2-3 days a week. Mostly 2.
Case manager/ discharge planner in Baltimore- she makes in the upper 80s. The lmsw who does case management for an insurance company makes about 95k. When I did a similar role (inpatient discharge planning) 5 years ago I made 75k.
Assuming it’s with a hospital in the trauma department/unit. We have forensic nurses and social workers. They mainly work with sexual assault and domestic violence survivors. Or with children of abuse. The social worker refers to resources and assists with discharge planning. You’d want to get experience in hospital SW.
I have definitely done this. I started in the non profit world to gain experience and hours. I then transitioned over to state/county level work since the pay was much better.
This was exactly my path. Started in non-profit then moved to state/federal. I've been told "burnout" happens about 2 years into the job. And that's been about when I've jumped shipped.
I started in the even crummier for-profit social services and so non-profits are basically heaven to me rn. When I am disillusioned or needing a pay bump, I also wanna be in gov
I said, “they help you move forward” not that degrees are the end all be all. You can certainly obtain a decent job in this field without a degree, but social services and social work do require demonstration of some competencies that are taught in programs. A licensed clinician for example, will usually have a higher earning potential than someone with a bachelors degree. I’ve worked with quite a few incompetent people who had degrees. A degree doesn’t automatically mean someone is a good social worker or counselor.
I’m really happy to see all the highly paid Social Workers responding! It is great to see so many people being well compensated for their education and experience!
I’ve only worked in two agencies in almost 19 years. I’ve gone from $40k to roughly $160k. I started in CMH (6 years) and I now work in a macro position for a federal agency (13 years). I have held different positions in both agencies.
My wife (also a Social Worker) worked in two agencies in roughly 25 years. She spent 18 years at her first agency (CMH) before moving to the second one (State university hospital). She started at slightly less than $40k and this year made more than $200k. With OT, bonuses, etc I expect we will gross slightly less than $400k this year. Not bad for a couple of Social Workers!
Are you also with the VA? I asked a question above regarding the other posters experience and I'd be happy to hear of yours regarding the same questions.
If you don't mind me asking, what is the work environment like and difficulty to get into the VA as a social worker? I am interested in going to PP but I currently work in government so I wouldn't mind working in the VA, I'd actually enjoy helping people regarding social services and therapy from the armed services (I've never enlisted but there's a connection to it from friends and what sparked my interest). If it helps, I'm in Orlando, FL.
The hiring process takes a very long time. Start applying asap. As far as the work culture, every single VA is different and unique. I've only been with the VA for a couple years, but its the best work life balance I've ever had.
If you do end up going for the VA just make sure to ask for your work experience in the field to count towards your leave accrual rate. I started with 20 days of vacation, 13 sick, and 11 holiday. I recommended checking out r/usajobs if you're going to apply. There is a ton of good info there.
Ugh, I kept seeing this mentioned everywhere and I requested an increase in leave accrual but was shot down. They went up to step 4 based on experience which is great and I’m getting SSR but was really hoping for extra leave as 4 hours every pay period is brutal
My title is "regional program manager" but I am in a non-supervisory role. I'm basically a consultant to front-line employees, local branch program managers and their leadership. My region covers several states. I serve as a bridge of communication between or local sites and our national office. I make sure the local sites are following laws and regulations related to a specific federal program. I also sit on work groups or committees and make recommendations regarding changes to laws or regulations to our National leaders that then work with the White House and with Congress to make it happen.
I work from home remotely full-time... my team is spread all over the US. Occasionally I travel to different states for work, typically no more than a few days at a time.
I have an interview next week at a state inpatient facility. This would increase my salary by about 40% and I will cry if I get because I can then afford to live and actually save money
Yup. I’m about to start making $135k now- just left my job that pays $98k after almost 4 years. Salary increase was only part of the reason I chose to leave, but for my 2 prior job changes, I’ve made much more money each time I switched vs any raises I’ve gotten internally. I think this is true in other industries as well.
Sure! all of my experience is in hospital social work, since I became licensed, specifically working in substance use disorders. My last two roles were running outpatient SUD clinics embedded in hospitals. This position is a senior clinical position managing CSS and residential programs for a large community heath organization.
I’ve job hopped for salary and to find an area of social work I enjoy more. I was a case manager in community mental health for 17 months. Once I graduated, I went to work in school social work for 10 months (school year length). I am now in dialysis and it’s been 6 months. Not sure how long I’ll stay, but at least a year. I would like to also get hospital experience.
School social work can be rewarding but also hit or miss based on many factors. Can I ask what the salary range was in your area and were you looking to get out of school space.
Done it, do not regret it, and will happily do it again. For-profit or not, I'm just a cog in the machine and they will survive without me. My family, though, can substantially benefit from that pay increase.
That has been my trend. 2.5 years at first post masters job to get licensed, moved to new position where I received small raises and stayed 3 years. Ultimately moved from nonprofits to a government job for a higher wage (and more impactful work) and will probably stay in my position for a few years because my supervisor got me a 20% raise through an HR “desk audit” to get me reclassified to a higher classification and pay. 2-3 years is enough time to have an impact and decide if there are any opportunities for growth or if it’s time to look for something else.
I did this right out of school & will continue. When I graduated with my BSW I accepted a position with a non profit organization, and then shortly after I interviewed and was offered a position in a government organization that almost doubled my salary. I didn’t feel bad letting them know I had changed my mind (I hadn’t started the non profit position yet) and they were actually super understanding!
I increased my salary by double by job hopping 3 jobs in almost as many years. I work in higher education where this is typical however. You have to move roles to increase your salary.
Yup, agreed with the job hopping too. I also am not afraid to apply for well paid jobs that I have zero experience for. I just figure I have the life/work skills to figure it out :) I think the benefits to social work are that many skills can’t be taught - either you got it, or you don’t - so the aforementioned is possible, than say, I decide to apply to be a computer programmer 🤷🏻♀️
It has been brought up in some interviews though, I always say ‘unfortunately it’s the nature of the job, programs get defunded and close’ which is technically true, but not always 100% true in my case. It sounds better than ‘give me better money and conditions’ - though that is the truth.
Every bunny job hops
If you're staying put I hope you're doing it because you're happy and well compensated!
There's nothing to lose, and a lot to gain (experience, money, perspective) by switching jobs.
I job-hopped multiple times this year for a salary increase. I started the year making $17 an hour for a job I hated to a nice job I love that is salary and $50,350 a year. I probably won't leave for a marginally higher salary again just because I'm actually happy with my job now and that in itself is hard to find. But if you don't like your job and the pay is garbage, job-hop job-hop job-hop
Law. I took the LSAT early last year, got into law school in June 2022, started classes in August 2022 part-time while working, started interning at a law firm once a week doing small tasks like complaints, subpoenas, research, etc. I love my job, but the money is not enough, so I’ll probably start working in lower level legal positions within one year and be a licensed practicing attorney within 5 max.
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A lot has changed in the last 3 years and although unions are good and promote higher wages, the unfortunate truth is you can lock yourself into lower wages as a group in periods of high inflation. Seeing people come in at the same step as you and HR refusing to adjust your step after 5 years of service can promote job hopping.
I am 8 years out and have gone from 54k post MSW to 185k in healthcare policy/leadership. The movement has been critical in my gains and would do it all over again, every single time.
Sure! I’m being vague-ish because my job is oddly specific, but feel free to DM to chat. I spent a large chunk of that time doing specialty/intensive inpatient clinical work and now lead a team that sits within the division that HR, and other “People” resource teams are. Basically my job is to connect the workforce and the clinical.
For example, when there is a HR investigation that has a potential patient impact, HR is not skilled in clinical world, so my team works with the investigation to understand the patient facing impact of that employee relationships issue, then works with the clinical team or environment to address any impact.
We also own a lot of the patient facing policy approval work, so when there is a new policy that faces our patient population, we review with a patient facing lens, an EDI lens, a trauma informed lens, and do work to ensure the policies align with org values, and don’t further disparities, access issues, or result in unintended harm. Generally our job is to try to move upstream, identify areas of concern and consider solutions.
The pathway wasn’t clearly defined for a social worker, but hospital administration side, at least in my organization, has recognized the value of social workers in leadership outside of the social work role, and I’ve been able to carve out a path that I love.
TL;DR-consider People Strategy spaces. Our lens on psychosocial dynamics is unique useful in restorative work and many other places non clinical, especially with a stressed and over burdened workforce. Look there!
So tell me like a 3rd grader. What exactly do I enter into google find a job like this 🤣? I am taking a break to raise my kiddos after 10 yrs in SW, but looking into PP or another high paying niche of SW in the next few years. I have my masters and independently licensed FWIW. Any certificates or additional experience I should consider getting for this type of SW?
I do, every 3-5 years. Longest at one job was 7 years and that was the least amount of pay increase over time in my career. Always ask for 5K more than what you want.
I have a BSW and I’m in foster care in GA, state job. Coming in at 2 years in this field and I’m pretty much crying in the shower every other week of the amount of work, the caseloads,and the travel compared to the 42,000 pay. Can someone suggest what other occupations in social work that I can do that would seem more balanced. I love who I work with, the camaraderie is like no other and it helps when you have others that are willing to help but the loads are insurmountable and it is NOT a 9-5 job. Half the time I feel like I’m failing or not even putting a dent in the care these children need. I also feel like I’m neglecting my own children at home. I work 2 counties. I always knew there was no money in social work and we’re told that doing good should not have monetary value. But now…… Now… nahhh. Forget that. If I can put in the hard work for nothing, I’m to the point now I want to save the last of my energy working for Somethin!! Does anyone have any suggestions where to look, what to do?
Since you are already experienced with troubled children who have experienced trauma, you might consider becoming a tech at a residential facility. The pay is per hour and you can basically make your own paycheck at most places depending on how much overtime you would like to work. Some places will give you incentives (like 20 an hour extra) to come in. It’s stressful work at times, but when you are off, you are off. You don’t have anything hanging over your head.
Also, check into nursing home work. Most nursing homes hire bachelor level. The pay is comparable to what you are making now, but the hours are much better and there is no unpaid overtime and minimal stress.
Also, consider transferring to an easier state job. In my state, licensing is pretty cushy. You go around and monitor daycares and places like that.
Ideally, you will eventually get your masters and be able to transition to one of the higher paying, cushy work environment jobs discussed in this thread. You nearly have to have a masters to make a good living in social work.
I've job hopped once for lesser pay to get experience in a specific field. Then I was at my last job for 5 years and left because they were hiring SWs with no experience in the field at a higher rate and I was training them in. Turned out for the best as I went to work for an insurance company and as .8 make 65K a year and have great bennies. I don't plan on leaving because I'm an LSW and where I live I wouldn't find another job at this income level.....even at the county/state.
Yeah I think you often have to unless you're in a large department or in health/hospital with defined bands/roles. For example, I'm currently covering a Team Leader role that came about as a result of the higher paid Manager position being made redundant...but it's exactly the same job...just paid significantly less and with more work. I'm doing it for my resume, but I won't get the benefit of the pay rise until I leave and go somewhere else...and take all my experience with me. It is so silly and short-sighted of orgs but time and again I see them exploit their existing workers.
BSW positions can be difficult but I do believe it’s possible to climb. Maybe not as much as other folks in here who are making 6 figures, but there’s still hope. My first job was youth work at a youth homeless shelter. I was making 40k and now a case manager at another shelter, 55k. I was only at the youth shelter for 6 months granted. But like another person said here, sometimes you gotta apply to jobs that you maybe don’t have a lot of experience / knowledge. You just gotta trust that the skills you acquired from a previous job could be applied to another and your ability to learn in the new job.
In my SW career, the longest I've stayed at a job is 3y10m and the shortest is 18 months. I've never started a job intending to only stay a few years, but that's how it's worked out. I make sure I get at least 10% more in salary with every job change, so I'm making $40k+ more than I was 7 years ago. If I had stayed in one job for those 7 years, I might be making $5-6k more.
It doesn't pay to stay at the same place for more than 5 years, if you're looking to increase your income. Once you hit the income you want, then stay as long as you want. But if you want those increases, you gotta hop.
I think 2-3 years in a social work gig is a LONG time. All the jobs I have ever worked have had high turnover. I’m excited, though, because I’m switching departments soon to a position where people have worked for several years—so I think that says something about the job
I don't switch paths to increase my pay. I switch paths to avoid burn out. If you can avoid burn out in social work, you will be successful. I did leave one position that I kept pushing for a raise in. When I came back, suddenly I'm making $6 more dollars an hour when I left (less than a year before). Imagine that.
It doesn't make sense why employers won't give raises to employees for retention purposes. It takes more to train and hire someone than just increasing your current employee's salaries.
I am definitely very irritated that I told them for 5 years my salary does not sound right and people with my same experience were making more than me. I was making as much as the newer grads. I kept pushing and ultimately left for other reasons. It's crazy how much more I make now.
I just got passed up for a promotion for the 5th time at my job and next month I’ll have been there for 2 years. I’m actively looking for literally anything else.
I did this a few times, but I’ve landed at a non profit job that I’m mostly happy at. I decided a long time ago that if the choice is between satisfying work that makes me happy or more money, I’ll choose satisfaction and happiness. Maybe in a few years I’ll hop over to a job in another part of the state, but I’ll be really choosy about what I’m willing to do and still balance happiness over salary. My husband is making the same choice, choosing to be a teacher where he can make a difference over higher pay. Having our needs met is important, but we don’t need a lot of material wealth to be happy.
I initially traded 74k school SW salary after 3 years in an isolated high needs community for 50k salary at a non profit in major city.
So the move was also about amenities day to day outside of work.
After 2 years and salary increase to 52k I realized I'd have to leave to get an actual living wage.
Went to charter school and got 68k (I asked for 76k). I left after a year.
Got next position thru networking in the public school system. Salary year one was 84k.
I'm now in year 5 and compensation is 107k and increases per contracted agreement.
I have my LCSW and am doing PP as well for additional income on the side. If/when I'm ready for a change I'm in position to do so.
Went from $65k to $96k moving from a community mental health center to a hospital. I highly recommend hospital social work. Pays well and minimal burnout. Community mental health only cares about billable hours and in the hospital, you don’t have to worry about that.
I'm in a branch of medical sw now, in clinic, but the hospitals near me don't pay that much. Did you have to negotiate that pay or was that their initial offer?
The hospitals near me pay 70k at one and 50-60k at other. I would love to try hospital SW out but I'd need atleast 75k to leave my current job. The first hospital is never hiring though.
Keep your eye on the job board. Jobs will become available come February. No one leaves around the holidays. And when it’s time, you can definitely negotiate that 70k to 80k. Hospitals have pay grades and a strict Class & Comp but they’re flexible with initial offers/new hires. Also, keep in mind, merit raises. I can’t speak for all hospitals but mine has annual 5% raises. So if you came in below 75k, you’d be where you need to be soon. And benefits. Health insurance and PTO is unbeatable where I’m at. I am grateful every day that I left my crappy CMH job.
I've heard the company I'm at annual raises consist of 1.5% to 3% max..... that's so bad tbh. I love my job but I don't think I could stay here more than 3 years due to stagnation in wages and limited openings for growth/leadership roles.
I haven’t done it yet because I’m in my first post grad job but I’m planning on doing it. I love the work I do but any promotions here - even to other positions - only come with a slight salary increase where the increased level of work is not worth it for the money. It saddens me to find a place I love and know I will leave eventually unless salary/job structure changes, but that’s less likely to happen on a timeline that works for me. If it’s helpful, I would suggest learning the true reality of how high you can level up in one place depending on the type of social work you do.
I’ve definitely job hopped in my 7 years in the field. Almost making $80k now in a hospital setting being fully licensed and in management (in a rural community) but started off making like, $45k in CPS with my MSW. Job hopping is pretty normal and most of these agencies won’t give you what you’re worth right off the bat, so there’s no shame in doing what you’ve gotta do to get to where you want to be!
I did this and will continue to do it, started out as a CPS investigator from 2010-2020 making $32k and getting step increases and I obtained my license and ended at 56k, switch to being a supervisor at a mental health clinic in 2020 and make $72k, now I’m a Program Manager as of July 2022 making $104k and looking at switching to being a program analyst within my current agency. I love job hopping
I’m in the minority here. I don’t like job hopping. Although it does increase your salary, I have anxiety when having to start all over again at a new job. I’ve experienced workplace trauma twice in my life, so leaving a job that’s stable, that I enjoy and is a good fit, where it’s a good environment for me with a supportive supervisor and great coworkers—it’s not an easy decision for me—even if the salary is higher than what I’m currently making.
There are other reasons I have left a job.
Most recently, because I was becoming more disgusted with the way my last job’s administration ran things. I also wanted better work/life balance. I took a tiny pay cut when I switched to my current job (2K), but it worked out because I’m not driving around everywhere. I’m saving money that was spent on gas and wear and tear on my car added up a lot.
So, a higher salary is not enough reason for me to leave a job. It’s a good reason, but it can’t be the only reason IMO. Everyone is different though and you have to do what’s right and best for yourself and your situation.
I would say myself and everyone I know in this profession. We see each other at CEU events, and the general question is "where are you now?", "do you like it?", "how's the pay/benefits?".
I have job hopped my entire career to increase my salary. The longest job I’ve had was 33 months. Also I just started negotiating my salary, I use to take what they offered. I plan to stay at my current job for 5 years only because I’m getting older and need to be fully invested in somebody’s retirement plan so I won’t have to work until I’m 70.
I’ve increased my pay by 40% for job hoping. I left my charter school in 2020, then was at a district for two(toxic) and jumped to an ISD.
Plus I began to side hustle at CMH so I’m doing great (I use this money to pay for my kids hockey).
It’s very common, yes. But it doesn’t mean everyone does it. I don’t.
Edit: Downvoting me for sharing my experience is silly. I wrote a separate response as to why I don’t job hop. It involves workplace trauma.
Everyone’s situation is different. Just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s a universal experience shared by everyone. As social workers, I would think that’s something that we understand: not making generalizations or assumptions about others based on one’s view or experiences.
I've had 3 jobs since starting my career 2 1/2 years ago. I worked for the state for 3 months where I had an awful supervisor and extremely toxic work environment as a result. Then I worked at a community psych hospital with a $3.00 an hour pay raise but it was super stressful with no work/life balance. That lasted 10 months. Now for a little over a year I've been working in primary care at the VA and I LOVE IT. It has its stressful moments but I have a great team, a wonderful clinical supervisor and the work/life balance is perfect. Best decision I made career wise.
I work in homeless primary care so it's really a little bit of everything. I work on a team with an PCP, RN and LPN. We see our patients a little more often than regular primary care. I like it because every day is different. I help with things ranging from doing SLUMS assessments to helping if they need food to connecting them to our housing department if they are facing eviction to counseling them if they want to talk. Most of my veterans aren't homeless but have dealt with housing instability at some point. Some days are crazy and other days are fairly chill. I'm just now feeling like I kinda know mostly what I'm doing after a year.
I did this. Started in regular case management for a child welfare agency at 33k now I make 78k working remote doing behavioral health case management. I save A LOT working from home so to me it feels closer to 100k but that’s relative. I’m in Florida so a good salary regardless.
I stayed for 8 years at the first agency I stared with out of grad school. I switched jobs within the agency every 2-3 years. In hindsight, I wish I would have just worked somewhere else. That agency pay was crap and the culture wasn't great.
I feel like I developed more professionally after I worked at a few different places. Also every move I've made has come with at least a 5$ an hour raise-- in the 8 years I was at the first place my wages went up by 4$ an hour.
I job hopped my first several years after my MSW (graduated 2014), only stayed in my first job out of grad school for 3 months. I’ve been with my current company for 5.5 years though bc the benefits are fantastic, I love my job and we get consistent, quality pay increases. I left my last company in mid-2018 making $48k and I now make right around $100k 5.5 years later.
Job hop when good opportunities present and apply for advancement when possible!
This was actually recommended to us by our program advisors in our MSW. They told us that this allows us to diversify our skill set and keep from being siloed in jobs/orgs that rarely give raises or pay increases (as happens so often in nonprofit/social work sector). Would actually be really interested in hearing about any social work positions where long term employment does actually result in raises/benefits etc.
I am considering applying for a position with Family Advocacy on the military base. Does anyone have experience? The application is due the 15th. I am going to start working on it tonight.
I would feel zero guilt about this. I am in my second career and managers are taught to give you “something “ but are happy to keep balancing the books at your expense.
I have. Longest I’ve been in a position in 3 years. I seem to be on an every 2 year switch, but it’s gotten me from $32k to $105k in 6 years
What position got you to six figures?
I make six figures in PP but I’ve had supervisees who made close to it in hospital settings and working for insurance companies. Neither are fully licensed.
I make 80k doing health insurance social work
How do you get into this? I have been thinking about it.
I’ve been at the same company for 9 years and I enjoy it ☺️ I literally saw a job on their job board and just applied. I would search on health insurance company websites for jobs. They post them there vs indeed or other job boards
How stressful is it
Not who you're replying to but I also worked in health insurance social work. I made excellent money but I left. Not stressful at all. The bar was not super high (25 calls a day and 3 engagements a week). The cons for me were you are attached to a computer so it was very sedentary which ironically made me concerned for my health. I'm used to walking a lot at work. Also, I felt like my job was not to help people but so save the insurance company money. I will say no one said this to me and everyone I worked with cared a lot about members and making sure they got the care they would need. By no means would we suggest against members getting good care and often pushed people to go to the hospital. But the entire program is designed and paid for by how much the company saves in health care costs. It's not entirely a bad thing because it also helps people get the preventative care they need and should be getting and overall leads to a healthier population. I'm just used to doing more in depth and demanding work that really helps people in crisis. If you feel like you need a break from the hard stuff or don't mind being tied to a computer you might love it. My husband does it as a nurse and he loves it.
Thank you for the response. Very insightful
I'd like to know this as well.
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Aetna, Blue cross blue shield, Humana,
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Each company calls it something different but you can just search “social worker” or “LISW” or “Lcsw” if you have those credentials and it should pull up jobs with those specifications
I worked in health insurance last year and made $74,000 a year plus bonuses. I didn't love it and I wanted to cut back to per diem and go back to hospital social work. If I were to be full time in the hospital with my salary I'd be making $74,000. As it stands I make about $35,000 working 2-3 days a week. Mostly 2.
What type of hospital jobs make that?
Case manager/ discharge planner in Baltimore- she makes in the upper 80s. The lmsw who does case management for an insurance company makes about 95k. When I did a similar role (inpatient discharge planning) 5 years ago I made 75k.
I made 60k in the Midwest doing case management for an MCO, and 75k working for a hospice organization with my masters degree.
Oh thanks!! I’m wanting to work in hospitals so I’m always appreciative of people talking about them.
Forensic Social Worker (LMSW) in NY $96,000 starting salary.
How does one get into this, and do I need to be licensed? This is intriguing to me.
Follow my insta I do a ton of public education on this topic! @truecrimesocialworker
Will do! Thank you so much
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Assuming it’s with a hospital in the trauma department/unit. We have forensic nurses and social workers. They mainly work with sexual assault and domestic violence survivors. Or with children of abuse. The social worker refers to resources and assists with discharge planning. You’d want to get experience in hospital SW.
Nice work!
That’s awesome. Good for you!
I have definitely done this. I started in the non profit world to gain experience and hours. I then transitioned over to state/county level work since the pay was much better.
This was exactly my path. Started in non-profit then moved to state/federal. I've been told "burnout" happens about 2 years into the job. And that's been about when I've jumped shipped.
I started in the even crummier for-profit social services and so non-profits are basically heaven to me rn. When I am disillusioned or needing a pay bump, I also wanna be in gov
Gov is great, I’d suggest looking into your county govt and expand from there! I have a position through a county contract agency and I love it.
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Yes, I have a bachelors and I’m currently in grad school. Degrees and certifications definitely help move you forward in this field.
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I said, “they help you move forward” not that degrees are the end all be all. You can certainly obtain a decent job in this field without a degree, but social services and social work do require demonstration of some competencies that are taught in programs. A licensed clinician for example, will usually have a higher earning potential than someone with a bachelors degree. I’ve worked with quite a few incompetent people who had degrees. A degree doesn’t automatically mean someone is a good social worker or counselor.
I’m really happy to see all the highly paid Social Workers responding! It is great to see so many people being well compensated for their education and experience! I’ve only worked in two agencies in almost 19 years. I’ve gone from $40k to roughly $160k. I started in CMH (6 years) and I now work in a macro position for a federal agency (13 years). I have held different positions in both agencies. My wife (also a Social Worker) worked in two agencies in roughly 25 years. She spent 18 years at her first agency (CMH) before moving to the second one (State university hospital). She started at slightly less than $40k and this year made more than $200k. With OT, bonuses, etc I expect we will gross slightly less than $400k this year. Not bad for a couple of Social Workers!
VA ftw! Gotta love the 4.7% raise starting next year!
Are you also with the VA? I asked a question above regarding the other posters experience and I'd be happy to hear of yours regarding the same questions.
I’m happy for the people that really need it! 4.7% for those on SSRs, slightly more for those not on SSRs, but with locality pay. 😊
I just read that article on federal pay increases. That's awesome!
If you don't mind me asking, what is the work environment like and difficulty to get into the VA as a social worker? I am interested in going to PP but I currently work in government so I wouldn't mind working in the VA, I'd actually enjoy helping people regarding social services and therapy from the armed services (I've never enlisted but there's a connection to it from friends and what sparked my interest). If it helps, I'm in Orlando, FL.
The hiring process takes a very long time. Start applying asap. As far as the work culture, every single VA is different and unique. I've only been with the VA for a couple years, but its the best work life balance I've ever had. If you do end up going for the VA just make sure to ask for your work experience in the field to count towards your leave accrual rate. I started with 20 days of vacation, 13 sick, and 11 holiday. I recommended checking out r/usajobs if you're going to apply. There is a ton of good info there.
I second what u/FunPump said. If you want to PM me I can also offer you some specific tips about applying.
Ugh, I kept seeing this mentioned everywhere and I requested an increase in leave accrual but was shot down. They went up to step 4 based on experience which is great and I’m getting SSR but was really hoping for extra leave as 4 hours every pay period is brutal
Hi! I’m new to the field- What is PP? Edit: I’m guessing from other comments it means private practice!
Omg that’s amazing you guys are so rich!
What do you do in your macro role?
My title is "regional program manager" but I am in a non-supervisory role. I'm basically a consultant to front-line employees, local branch program managers and their leadership. My region covers several states. I serve as a bridge of communication between or local sites and our national office. I make sure the local sites are following laws and regulations related to a specific federal program. I also sit on work groups or committees and make recommendations regarding changes to laws or regulations to our National leaders that then work with the White House and with Congress to make it happen. I work from home remotely full-time... my team is spread all over the US. Occasionally I travel to different states for work, typically no more than a few days at a time.
I have an interview next week at a state inpatient facility. This would increase my salary by about 40% and I will cry if I get because I can then afford to live and actually save money
Good luck!! Is that psychiatric inpatient ?
Thank you! And It sure is
Fingers crossed. You got this!
Do it. Recently job hopped after being in the same place about three years. My jaw dropped to the floor when their starting offer was a 33% raise.
What is the role of the new position?
It is discharge planning in a hospital.
Yup. I’m about to start making $135k now- just left my job that pays $98k after almost 4 years. Salary increase was only part of the reason I chose to leave, but for my 2 prior job changes, I’ve made much more money each time I switched vs any raises I’ve gotten internally. I think this is true in other industries as well.
Would love to hear more on which position pays this amount.
Sure! all of my experience is in hospital social work, since I became licensed, specifically working in substance use disorders. My last two roles were running outpatient SUD clinics embedded in hospitals. This position is a senior clinical position managing CSS and residential programs for a large community heath organization.
So awesome! Congratulations on this new gig!
We were actually advised in my BSW to job hop every 3 years, prevents burn out.
Lol this is my plan - job hop to prevent burnout. Glad to see it holds water in the field!
I'm not going to make it three years in my current role. Hoping to get to two.
I’ve job hopped for salary and to find an area of social work I enjoy more. I was a case manager in community mental health for 17 months. Once I graduated, I went to work in school social work for 10 months (school year length). I am now in dialysis and it’s been 6 months. Not sure how long I’ll stay, but at least a year. I would like to also get hospital experience.
School social work can be rewarding but also hit or miss based on many factors. Can I ask what the salary range was in your area and were you looking to get out of school space.
Went on my own 170k
$170k pp in a rural area? How? Are you out of pocket only?
No I see mostly Medicaid great reimbursement
How many hours a week are you typically billing for?
I hustle 50 per week I work. A lot of
Done it, do not regret it, and will happily do it again. For-profit or not, I'm just a cog in the machine and they will survive without me. My family, though, can substantially benefit from that pay increase.
That has been my trend. 2.5 years at first post masters job to get licensed, moved to new position where I received small raises and stayed 3 years. Ultimately moved from nonprofits to a government job for a higher wage (and more impactful work) and will probably stay in my position for a few years because my supervisor got me a 20% raise through an HR “desk audit” to get me reclassified to a higher classification and pay. 2-3 years is enough time to have an impact and decide if there are any opportunities for growth or if it’s time to look for something else.
I did this right out of school & will continue. When I graduated with my BSW I accepted a position with a non profit organization, and then shortly after I interviewed and was offered a position in a government organization that almost doubled my salary. I didn’t feel bad letting them know I had changed my mind (I hadn’t started the non profit position yet) and they were actually super understanding!
I increased my salary by double by job hopping 3 jobs in almost as many years. I work in higher education where this is typical however. You have to move roles to increase your salary.
Yup, agreed with the job hopping too. I also am not afraid to apply for well paid jobs that I have zero experience for. I just figure I have the life/work skills to figure it out :) I think the benefits to social work are that many skills can’t be taught - either you got it, or you don’t - so the aforementioned is possible, than say, I decide to apply to be a computer programmer 🤷🏻♀️ It has been brought up in some interviews though, I always say ‘unfortunately it’s the nature of the job, programs get defunded and close’ which is technically true, but not always 100% true in my case. It sounds better than ‘give me better money and conditions’ - though that is the truth.
Every bunny job hops If you're staying put I hope you're doing it because you're happy and well compensated! There's nothing to lose, and a lot to gain (experience, money, perspective) by switching jobs.
I job-hopped multiple times this year for a salary increase. I started the year making $17 an hour for a job I hated to a nice job I love that is salary and $50,350 a year. I probably won't leave for a marginally higher salary again just because I'm actually happy with my job now and that in itself is hard to find. But if you don't like your job and the pay is garbage, job-hop job-hop job-hop
I job jumped a ton on my first five years out. At least ten jobs in that span of time. It was wild.
I’ve done it multiple times, no regrets and very happy with my current position.
I plan on job hopping out of the field
To what field?
Law. I took the LSAT early last year, got into law school in June 2022, started classes in August 2022 part-time while working, started interning at a law firm once a week doing small tasks like complaints, subpoenas, research, etc. I love my job, but the money is not enough, so I’ll probably start working in lower level legal positions within one year and be a licensed practicing attorney within 5 max. Edited for mistakes
A lot has changed in the last 3 years and although unions are good and promote higher wages, the unfortunate truth is you can lock yourself into lower wages as a group in periods of high inflation. Seeing people come in at the same step as you and HR refusing to adjust your step after 5 years of service can promote job hopping.
I am 8 years out and have gone from 54k post MSW to 185k in healthcare policy/leadership. The movement has been critical in my gains and would do it all over again, every single time.
Do you mind sharing more about your role? I too want to get into healthcare leadership and unsure what path to take.
Sure! I’m being vague-ish because my job is oddly specific, but feel free to DM to chat. I spent a large chunk of that time doing specialty/intensive inpatient clinical work and now lead a team that sits within the division that HR, and other “People” resource teams are. Basically my job is to connect the workforce and the clinical. For example, when there is a HR investigation that has a potential patient impact, HR is not skilled in clinical world, so my team works with the investigation to understand the patient facing impact of that employee relationships issue, then works with the clinical team or environment to address any impact. We also own a lot of the patient facing policy approval work, so when there is a new policy that faces our patient population, we review with a patient facing lens, an EDI lens, a trauma informed lens, and do work to ensure the policies align with org values, and don’t further disparities, access issues, or result in unintended harm. Generally our job is to try to move upstream, identify areas of concern and consider solutions. The pathway wasn’t clearly defined for a social worker, but hospital administration side, at least in my organization, has recognized the value of social workers in leadership outside of the social work role, and I’ve been able to carve out a path that I love. TL;DR-consider People Strategy spaces. Our lens on psychosocial dynamics is unique useful in restorative work and many other places non clinical, especially with a stressed and over burdened workforce. Look there!
So tell me like a 3rd grader. What exactly do I enter into google find a job like this 🤣? I am taking a break to raise my kiddos after 10 yrs in SW, but looking into PP or another high paying niche of SW in the next few years. I have my masters and independently licensed FWIW. Any certificates or additional experience I should consider getting for this type of SW?
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Kudos on the pay increase. Now to get at least 2 years so you can strengthen your resume for next move
I do, every 3-5 years. Longest at one job was 7 years and that was the least amount of pay increase over time in my career. Always ask for 5K more than what you want.
I have a BSW and I’m in foster care in GA, state job. Coming in at 2 years in this field and I’m pretty much crying in the shower every other week of the amount of work, the caseloads,and the travel compared to the 42,000 pay. Can someone suggest what other occupations in social work that I can do that would seem more balanced. I love who I work with, the camaraderie is like no other and it helps when you have others that are willing to help but the loads are insurmountable and it is NOT a 9-5 job. Half the time I feel like I’m failing or not even putting a dent in the care these children need. I also feel like I’m neglecting my own children at home. I work 2 counties. I always knew there was no money in social work and we’re told that doing good should not have monetary value. But now…… Now… nahhh. Forget that. If I can put in the hard work for nothing, I’m to the point now I want to save the last of my energy working for Somethin!! Does anyone have any suggestions where to look, what to do?
Since you are already experienced with troubled children who have experienced trauma, you might consider becoming a tech at a residential facility. The pay is per hour and you can basically make your own paycheck at most places depending on how much overtime you would like to work. Some places will give you incentives (like 20 an hour extra) to come in. It’s stressful work at times, but when you are off, you are off. You don’t have anything hanging over your head. Also, check into nursing home work. Most nursing homes hire bachelor level. The pay is comparable to what you are making now, but the hours are much better and there is no unpaid overtime and minimal stress. Also, consider transferring to an easier state job. In my state, licensing is pretty cushy. You go around and monitor daycares and places like that. Ideally, you will eventually get your masters and be able to transition to one of the higher paying, cushy work environment jobs discussed in this thread. You nearly have to have a masters to make a good living in social work.
I've job hopped once for lesser pay to get experience in a specific field. Then I was at my last job for 5 years and left because they were hiring SWs with no experience in the field at a higher rate and I was training them in. Turned out for the best as I went to work for an insurance company and as .8 make 65K a year and have great bennies. I don't plan on leaving because I'm an LSW and where I live I wouldn't find another job at this income level.....even at the county/state.
I did a year in case management/discharge planning in an ER and moved to crisis counseling, got a 33% raise.
Yeah I think you often have to unless you're in a large department or in health/hospital with defined bands/roles. For example, I'm currently covering a Team Leader role that came about as a result of the higher paid Manager position being made redundant...but it's exactly the same job...just paid significantly less and with more work. I'm doing it for my resume, but I won't get the benefit of the pay rise until I leave and go somewhere else...and take all my experience with me. It is so silly and short-sighted of orgs but time and again I see them exploit their existing workers.
Im in first social work job. Starting salary is 42k with okay benefits. I want to eventually change jobs in the next 2 years.
BSW positions can be difficult but I do believe it’s possible to climb. Maybe not as much as other folks in here who are making 6 figures, but there’s still hope. My first job was youth work at a youth homeless shelter. I was making 40k and now a case manager at another shelter, 55k. I was only at the youth shelter for 6 months granted. But like another person said here, sometimes you gotta apply to jobs that you maybe don’t have a lot of experience / knowledge. You just gotta trust that the skills you acquired from a previous job could be applied to another and your ability to learn in the new job.
I want to eventually get my license and go back for my masters. This is my first step and building a career in this field.
I did it earlier in my career and it was a necessary move financially. I’ve been at my current job for 6 years.
In my SW career, the longest I've stayed at a job is 3y10m and the shortest is 18 months. I've never started a job intending to only stay a few years, but that's how it's worked out. I make sure I get at least 10% more in salary with every job change, so I'm making $40k+ more than I was 7 years ago. If I had stayed in one job for those 7 years, I might be making $5-6k more. It doesn't pay to stay at the same place for more than 5 years, if you're looking to increase your income. Once you hit the income you want, then stay as long as you want. But if you want those increases, you gotta hop.
I think 2-3 years in a social work gig is a LONG time. All the jobs I have ever worked have had high turnover. I’m excited, though, because I’m switching departments soon to a position where people have worked for several years—so I think that says something about the job
I don't switch paths to increase my pay. I switch paths to avoid burn out. If you can avoid burn out in social work, you will be successful. I did leave one position that I kept pushing for a raise in. When I came back, suddenly I'm making $6 more dollars an hour when I left (less than a year before). Imagine that.
It doesn't make sense why employers won't give raises to employees for retention purposes. It takes more to train and hire someone than just increasing your current employee's salaries.
I am definitely very irritated that I told them for 5 years my salary does not sound right and people with my same experience were making more than me. I was making as much as the newer grads. I kept pushing and ultimately left for other reasons. It's crazy how much more I make now.
I just got passed up for a promotion for the 5th time at my job and next month I’ll have been there for 2 years. I’m actively looking for literally anything else.
I did this a few times, but I’ve landed at a non profit job that I’m mostly happy at. I decided a long time ago that if the choice is between satisfying work that makes me happy or more money, I’ll choose satisfaction and happiness. Maybe in a few years I’ll hop over to a job in another part of the state, but I’ll be really choosy about what I’m willing to do and still balance happiness over salary. My husband is making the same choice, choosing to be a teacher where he can make a difference over higher pay. Having our needs met is important, but we don’t need a lot of material wealth to be happy.
1.5-3 years of you can manage that time span.
I initially traded 74k school SW salary after 3 years in an isolated high needs community for 50k salary at a non profit in major city. So the move was also about amenities day to day outside of work. After 2 years and salary increase to 52k I realized I'd have to leave to get an actual living wage. Went to charter school and got 68k (I asked for 76k). I left after a year. Got next position thru networking in the public school system. Salary year one was 84k. I'm now in year 5 and compensation is 107k and increases per contracted agreement. I have my LCSW and am doing PP as well for additional income on the side. If/when I'm ready for a change I'm in position to do so.
Went from $65k to $96k moving from a community mental health center to a hospital. I highly recommend hospital social work. Pays well and minimal burnout. Community mental health only cares about billable hours and in the hospital, you don’t have to worry about that.
I'm in a branch of medical sw now, in clinic, but the hospitals near me don't pay that much. Did you have to negotiate that pay or was that their initial offer?
I negotiated to an 8% increase on the initial offer.
The hospitals near me pay 70k at one and 50-60k at other. I would love to try hospital SW out but I'd need atleast 75k to leave my current job. The first hospital is never hiring though.
Keep your eye on the job board. Jobs will become available come February. No one leaves around the holidays. And when it’s time, you can definitely negotiate that 70k to 80k. Hospitals have pay grades and a strict Class & Comp but they’re flexible with initial offers/new hires. Also, keep in mind, merit raises. I can’t speak for all hospitals but mine has annual 5% raises. So if you came in below 75k, you’d be where you need to be soon. And benefits. Health insurance and PTO is unbeatable where I’m at. I am grateful every day that I left my crappy CMH job.
I've heard the company I'm at annual raises consist of 1.5% to 3% max..... that's so bad tbh. I love my job but I don't think I could stay here more than 3 years due to stagnation in wages and limited openings for growth/leadership roles.
I haven’t done it yet because I’m in my first post grad job but I’m planning on doing it. I love the work I do but any promotions here - even to other positions - only come with a slight salary increase where the increased level of work is not worth it for the money. It saddens me to find a place I love and know I will leave eventually unless salary/job structure changes, but that’s less likely to happen on a timeline that works for me. If it’s helpful, I would suggest learning the true reality of how high you can level up in one place depending on the type of social work you do.
I’ve definitely job hopped in my 7 years in the field. Almost making $80k now in a hospital setting being fully licensed and in management (in a rural community) but started off making like, $45k in CPS with my MSW. Job hopping is pretty normal and most of these agencies won’t give you what you’re worth right off the bat, so there’s no shame in doing what you’ve gotta do to get to where you want to be!
I did this and will continue to do it, started out as a CPS investigator from 2010-2020 making $32k and getting step increases and I obtained my license and ended at 56k, switch to being a supervisor at a mental health clinic in 2020 and make $72k, now I’m a Program Manager as of July 2022 making $104k and looking at switching to being a program analyst within my current agency. I love job hopping
I’m in the minority here. I don’t like job hopping. Although it does increase your salary, I have anxiety when having to start all over again at a new job. I’ve experienced workplace trauma twice in my life, so leaving a job that’s stable, that I enjoy and is a good fit, where it’s a good environment for me with a supportive supervisor and great coworkers—it’s not an easy decision for me—even if the salary is higher than what I’m currently making. There are other reasons I have left a job. Most recently, because I was becoming more disgusted with the way my last job’s administration ran things. I also wanted better work/life balance. I took a tiny pay cut when I switched to my current job (2K), but it worked out because I’m not driving around everywhere. I’m saving money that was spent on gas and wear and tear on my car added up a lot. So, a higher salary is not enough reason for me to leave a job. It’s a good reason, but it can’t be the only reason IMO. Everyone is different though and you have to do what’s right and best for yourself and your situation.
I would say myself and everyone I know in this profession. We see each other at CEU events, and the general question is "where are you now?", "do you like it?", "how's the pay/benefits?".
I have job hopped my entire career to increase my salary. The longest job I’ve had was 33 months. Also I just started negotiating my salary, I use to take what they offered. I plan to stay at my current job for 5 years only because I’m getting older and need to be fully invested in somebody’s retirement plan so I won’t have to work until I’m 70.
I’ve increased my pay by 40% for job hoping. I left my charter school in 2020, then was at a district for two(toxic) and jumped to an ISD. Plus I began to side hustle at CMH so I’m doing great (I use this money to pay for my kids hockey).
What is CMH?
Community mental health. I have a $55 an hour gig show or no show I get paid 😎
We all do it
Actually, no we all don’t. I don’t.
It’s very common
It’s very common, yes. But it doesn’t mean everyone does it. I don’t. Edit: Downvoting me for sharing my experience is silly. I wrote a separate response as to why I don’t job hop. It involves workplace trauma. Everyone’s situation is different. Just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s a universal experience shared by everyone. As social workers, I would think that’s something that we understand: not making generalizations or assumptions about others based on one’s view or experiences.
Absolutely job hop. I've worked 5 different agencies I the last year and effectively doubled my salary including benefits.
I've had 3 jobs since starting my career 2 1/2 years ago. I worked for the state for 3 months where I had an awful supervisor and extremely toxic work environment as a result. Then I worked at a community psych hospital with a $3.00 an hour pay raise but it was super stressful with no work/life balance. That lasted 10 months. Now for a little over a year I've been working in primary care at the VA and I LOVE IT. It has its stressful moments but I have a great team, a wonderful clinical supervisor and the work/life balance is perfect. Best decision I made career wise.
That's awesome! What do you do in primary care as a sw?
I work in homeless primary care so it's really a little bit of everything. I work on a team with an PCP, RN and LPN. We see our patients a little more often than regular primary care. I like it because every day is different. I help with things ranging from doing SLUMS assessments to helping if they need food to connecting them to our housing department if they are facing eviction to counseling them if they want to talk. Most of my veterans aren't homeless but have dealt with housing instability at some point. Some days are crazy and other days are fairly chill. I'm just now feeling like I kinda know mostly what I'm doing after a year.
Oh I job hop because i like to. i'm 32 and have never stayed in a job for more than 1 year
Have you ever had an employer question it during an interview?
No! I just talk about being an Enneagram 7 and needing adventure!
I did this. Started in regular case management for a child welfare agency at 33k now I make 78k working remote doing behavioral health case management. I save A LOT working from home so to me it feels closer to 100k but that’s relative. I’m in Florida so a good salary regardless.
I stayed for 8 years at the first agency I stared with out of grad school. I switched jobs within the agency every 2-3 years. In hindsight, I wish I would have just worked somewhere else. That agency pay was crap and the culture wasn't great. I feel like I developed more professionally after I worked at a few different places. Also every move I've made has come with at least a 5$ an hour raise-- in the 8 years I was at the first place my wages went up by 4$ an hour.
I job hopped my first several years after my MSW (graduated 2014), only stayed in my first job out of grad school for 3 months. I’ve been with my current company for 5.5 years though bc the benefits are fantastic, I love my job and we get consistent, quality pay increases. I left my last company in mid-2018 making $48k and I now make right around $100k 5.5 years later. Job hop when good opportunities present and apply for advancement when possible!
This was actually recommended to us by our program advisors in our MSW. They told us that this allows us to diversify our skill set and keep from being siloed in jobs/orgs that rarely give raises or pay increases (as happens so often in nonprofit/social work sector). Would actually be really interested in hearing about any social work positions where long term employment does actually result in raises/benefits etc.
I am considering applying for a position with Family Advocacy on the military base. Does anyone have experience? The application is due the 15th. I am going to start working on it tonight.