Master of Social Work: Career Outlook
A vocation to meet a pressing need.
Your career began with a calling to serve. Now, gain the advanced skills you need to ensure your purpose meets its potential.
Due to evolving cultural values and an aging population, the need for social workers is on the rise, with particularly strong growth in advanced practice jobs:
- 11% job growth for social workers between 2018 and 20281
- 20.1% job growth for case workers in the next decade2
- $56,828 average salary for Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)3
With a specialization in either clinical or community practice, you can make an impact in the setting you’re passionate about.
Your MSW from Sacred Heart University can prepare you for a wide range of advanced practice roles. Here are two examples, each of which is aligned with our available MSW specializations.
Clinical Social Worker:
$55,735/YEAR
As a clinical social worker, you would serve individuals or groups with a focus on mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. You could find work in a variety of clinical settings, including private practices, hospitals and community health agencies.2
Community Advocate:
$53,677/YEAR
As a community advocate, you would help an entire group of people meet their community’s social needs. You may work from a nonprofit organization, an institution, or even from government office, to leverage large-scale systems in service of the public good.4
Additional roles for Master of Social Work graduates:
- Youth counselor
- Mental health/behavioral counselor
- Substance abuse counselor
- Family social worker
- Non-profit program manager
- Vocational rehabilitation counselor
- Case worker
- Community health worker
- Residential assistant
- Hospice social worker
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Fill out the form below and a skilled and knowledgeable Admissions Representative will get in touch to answer your questions and help with the application process.
Program Outcomes: Expand Your Capabilities
When you complete this program, you will be able to:
- Begin earning hours toward becoming a Licensed Master Social Worker or a Licensed Clinical Social Worker*
- Serve diverse client systems, from the individuals to communities
- Integrate knowledge, theory, analytics and professional values into your practice
- Collaborate with interprofessional teams in providing care
- Evaluate the impact of socioeconomics and political forces on policy
*Students are responsible for understanding licensure requirements for the state in which they intend to practice.
Specializations
Guidance Beyond Graduation
More than 98 percent of Sacred Heart alumni are employed full-time or enrolled in graduate school within a year of graduation.
Our Center for Career & Professional Development provides support to help you find your next opportunity and continue to grow outside of class.
Handshake Access
Tap into our online recruiting system exclusively for Sacred Heart students, featuring job opportunities from 10,000+ employers.
Career Coaching
Work one-on-one with a Sacred Heart career counselor to define your professional goals, practice for upcoming job interviews and more.
Extensive Network
Meet potential employers and connect with a network of 35,000+ Sacred Heart alumni in person and on LinkedIn.
Résumé Workshops
Get your résumé, cover letter and LinkedIn profile critiqued by peers and career-development experts to stand out from your competition.
Sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019 September 4). Social Workers. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm.
- Burning Glass Technologies: Labor Insight™. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- Payscale (n.d.). Average Licensed Clinical Social Worker Salary. Retrieved October 1, 2019, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Licensed_Clinical_Social_Worker_(LCSW)/Salary.
- Glassdoor (n.d.). Community Advocate Salaries. Retrieved October 31, 2019, from https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/community-advocate-salary-SRCH_KO0,18.htm.