Why Are Rates For Social Workers Are So Unsocial

Assumptions are usually wrong, especially when it comes to the rates of social workers.

Why Are Rates For Social Workers Are So unsocial

Most people think because social workers have a career focused on improving the well-being of the vulnerable in society, they are very underpaid.

The social work field is very important because they are compassionate and dedicated to seeing that every member of society is safe and protected.

They try their best to help disadvantaged people, and as social workers watch out for these people, the government or their employer also takes good care of them, if you know what we mean.

Social work is a profession based on practice to cause social change, development and empower individuals, families, and communities.

Activities in social work have impacted areas of civil rights, child abuse and neglect, mental health stigma, disability, workers compensation, unemployment insurance, Medicaid and Medicare, e.t.c.

The organization of these activities contributes immensely to individuals’ well-being, so government highly invests in social workers with good hourly rates and salaries.

 

How Much Are Social Workers Paid?

Social workers are found in different fields. Institutions and facilities like hospitals, mental health clinics, jails, military barracks, elderly homes, corporations, and public organizations have dedicated social workers.

Depending on these specializations and the sector and places they work will affect how much a social worker earns.

Some jobs in social work would include Direct Support Professionals, Case managers, Caseworkers,  Program coordinators, Nurses, Counsellors, Healthcare practitioners, Insurance Carriers, and many others.

Direct support professionals help people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live a normal life, and of course, healthcare practitioners would contribute to this.

Caseworkers also assist and provide counseling to clients in communities exposed to danger.

On the other hand, Case managers oversee, manage and facilitate everything needed to ensure they are continually advancing towards good mental, emotional and physical health.

Experienced social workers and a few special fields earn well over $100,000 yearly.

A couple of them are Telecommute travel social workers and Night travel social workers. It gets better if you are in a state that pays higher, like California and North Dakota.

Social workers in some fields at entry-level or the first year on the job can earn over $60000, and some of the highest-earning fields in social work include education, healthcare, and human services like insurance.

Beyond the public sector, some professionals also set up private institutions and practice independently to promote the welfare of individuals and groups in society.

Private institutions pay social workers higher, so you can expect to get higher rates than workers in the public sector.

Can I Get Rich From Being A Social Worker?

It is not strange to find social workers earning into six figures, so you can forget about social work being a direct road to poverty.

Many social workers find this career fulfilling and satisfying in most areas, including financially.

A peculiarity with the social work field is that the more you learn, the higher you can earn because it determines how you will transition and go higher in your career.

Several valuable skills can position you at this advantage.

Skills like palliative care, oncology, people management, project management, clinical education, policy analysis can boost your salary by over 20 percent.

Moving forward, some of these valuable skills can easily help you transition into private practice like psychotherapy or counseling.

If you decide to charge a $100 hourly rate for your services and see many clients weekly, it’s most likely nothing will stop you from being financially successful.

Maybe you ever considered serving in the social work field but talks about underpaying are holding you back. It’s time to block out the noise.