There are many types of social workers, and students working toward earning an MSW degree must look ahead to what kind of social work career they’d like to pursue after graduation. If you want to become a clinical social worker or school social worker, there’s a growing number of roles for these professions, as well as growing opportunities to become a medical social worker.

Before you pursue a social work career in the healthcare industry, learn more about your career outlook in this rewarding field and find out how you can prepare for medical social worker jobs when you earn your Master of Social Work.

Today’s Healthcare Social Worker Career Outlook

Medical social workers play a critical role in our healthcare system, helping patients understand their medical diagnoses and navigate the system so that they get the care and assistance they need. Professionals in this area of social work practice also work with doctors and nurses to understand how an illness or disease may affect a patient’s mental or emotional health.

The outlook for social worker jobs in the United States is strong and growing much faster than average. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the field of social work is expected to see a 6% growth in jobs between 2024 and 2034, adding around 44,700 new jobs.¹ Healthcare social workers can expect to see 8% growth by 2034, with 14,800 new jobs added.²

While the median annual pay for social workers was $61,330 in May 2024, healthcare social workers earned a higher median yearly salary of $68,090. Healthcare social workers in the top 10% in the field earn an average wage of $100,870. In addition, social workers working in state, local, and private hospitals and ambulatory healthcare services earned more on average than those working in individual and family services. New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Ohio have the country’s highest employment levels for social work jobs in healthcare.³

Earn Your MSW Online

For entry-level social work jobs, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in social work, but with an advanced social work degree you can develop the assessment and management skills you’ll need for clinical positions in social work practice.

Walden University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program is among the online MSW programs accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Walden is an excellent option for students interested in the benefits of distance learning who want to earn their MSW online. With a curriculum designed to prepare students for licensure, Walden gives students what they need to develop the in-demand, foundational skills needed for social worker jobs such as licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), school social worker, and medical social worker.

When you enroll in Walden’s online MSW degree program, you can choose from three speeds in which to complete your MSW degree, including an accelerated option as well as an option that limits your workload to one or two online classes per term.

It’s a great time to earn a degree and pursue a rewarding social work career. Find out now how a degree from Walden can get you on your way.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Expand your career options and earn your master’s degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
 

¹Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm#tab-1  
²Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm#tab-6 
³Source: www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes211022.htm#st 
 

Accreditation
Walden University’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Board of Accreditation (BOA), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accreditation of a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral social work program by the BOA indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of program quality evaluated through a peer review process. An accredited program has sufficient resources to meet its mission and goals and the BOA has verified that it demonstrates compliance with all sections of the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). Accreditation provides reasonable assurance about the quality of the program and the competence of students graduating from the program.

Note on Licensure
The Walden University Master of Social Work (MSW) program is designed to prepare graduates to practice as licensed social workers in many states. However, the requirements for licensure as a social worker vary greatly from state to state. Each state board that is responsible for regulating the practice of social work has its own academic requirements and issues its own license to practice as a social worker in that state. Additionally, students should be advised that the Walden MSW program is not designed or intended to prepare graduates for licensure as a school social worker; however, graduates might be eligible for licensure as a school social worker in their particular state of residence.

While Walden Enrollment Specialists can provide general information relating to the state-by-state educational requirements for social work licensure or certification, it remains the student’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to field education experiences, licensing or certification, authorization, or endorsement for the state in which she or he resides. Walden makes no representations or guarantee that completion of its coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain state licensure, certification, authorization, endorsement, or other state credential. Licensure eligibility determinations are ultimately determined by the appropriate state board that issues the credential to practice.

Prospective students enrolling in licensure-leading programs are advised that relocation to another state may impact the student’s ability to complete field experiences and/or to obtain professional licensure, certification, or other credential in another state. Prospective students are advised to carefully review, evaluate, and understand the requirements of the applicable licensure board in the state in which they intend to relocate.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.