Careers
What Can You Do With an MSW? Social Work Careers, Settings and Pay
What Can You Do With an MSW?
What can you do with an MSW? You can work as a child and family, school, healthcare, or mental health and substance use social worker, or move into program management and policy, and with a clinical license you can diagnose and treat mental health conditions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 775,920 social workers across its four social worker occupations, and the clinical route runs through a state license that takes supervised experience after the degree. Map that route for your state with the license pathway tool.
An MSW is a professional degree with several distinct jobs inside it. The work you do depends on the setting you choose and on the license you hold. This guide covers the main paths, what the work involves day to day, where it happens, and the license steps that open clinical practice. Pay is covered near the end.
What Can You Do With an MSW? The Main Career Paths
The Bureau of Labor Statistics describes four types of social workers, plus clinical social workers who can work within any of them:
- Child and family social workers protect vulnerable children and help families find housing, childcare or benefits. They step in when children are at risk of neglect or abuse, and some arrange adoptions, find foster families or work to reunite families.
- School social workers work with teachers, parents and administrators on students’ academic performance and social development, including bullying, aggressive behavior, frequent absences and access to special education.
- Healthcare social workers help patients understand a diagnosis and adjust their housing, lifestyle or care, including the move from hospital to home. Some specialize in geriatric, hospice and palliative, or medical social work.
- Mental health and substance abuse social workers help clients with mental illness or addiction, often as licensed clinical social workers.
- Macro social workers work at a broader level, helping community organizations and policymakers build or improve social programs.
Clinical social workers are the ones licensed to diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional disorders. That license is what most people mean when they ask whether an MSW lets you be a therapist.
Social Work Duties: What the Job Involves Day to Day
Across settings, the BLS lists a common core of social work duties:
- Identifying people and communities who need help.
- Assessing clients’ needs, situations, strengths and support networks to set goals.
- Helping clients adjust to changes such as illness, divorce or unemployment.
- Researching, referring and advocating for resources such as food assistance, childcare and healthcare.
- Responding to crises, including child abuse and mental health emergencies.
- Monitoring clients’ situations and following up.
- Keeping case files and records.
- Providing psychotherapy, in clinical roles.
Advocacy runs through all of it. Social workers raise awareness with and on behalf of their clients, and some advocate for the profession at local, state and national levels.
The mix shifts by role. Child and family social workers intervene when a child may be in danger and help families apply for benefits. Healthcare social workers help patients move from the hospital back home and explain to doctors how an illness affects a patient’s mental and emotional health. School social workers meet with families about absences and special education. Clinical social workers spend their time on therapy and treatment plans.
Where MSW Graduates Work
Government is the largest employer. The BLS breaks down where social workers worked in 2025:
| Employer type | Share of social workers |
|---|---|
| State and local government, excluding education and hospitals | 27% |
| Individual and family services | 17% |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 15% |
| Hospitals | 10% |
| Educational services | 10% |
Most social workers are based in an office and travel to see clients, meet colleagues or work with community specialists. School social workers often split their time among several schools in a district.
Two working conditions are worth knowing before you enroll. The BLS notes that understaffing and large caseloads can make the work stressful, and that while most social workers work full time, some work evenings, weekends and holidays or are on call.
Clinical Social Worker Jobs: What the Work Looks Like
The clinical and mental health concentration is the most widely offered MSW focus, with 256 programs in the verified set.
According to the BLS, clinical social workers:
- provide individual, group, family and couples therapy;
- help clients build strategies to change behavior or cope with hard situations;
- refer clients to support groups and other mental health providers;
- develop treatment plans with clients, doctors and other healthcare workers, and adjust them as clients progress.
Titles vary by state; the BLS names clinical social worker (CSW) and licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) as common ones. Mental health and substance abuse social workers are often licensed clinical social workers.
If this is your goal, choose a program with a clinical concentration and a clinical field placement. Examples in the data include USC’s MSW with its Adult Mental Health and Wellness track and Loyola University Chicago’s MSW with an Advanced Clinical Practice track. The clinical MSW programs page ranks them all.
Social Worker Pay by State
Child, Family, and School Social Workers: median $59,550 across 392,550 jobs; Healthcare Social Workers: median $67,880 across 187,630 jobs; Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers: median $60,280 across 132,810 jobs; Social Workers, All Other: median $71,900 across 62,930 jobs.
| State | Child, Family and School | Healthcare | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Social Workers, All Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,6604,220 jobs | $60,0002,850 jobs | $41,500740 jobs | $94,270400 jobs |
| Alaska | $62,6301,260 jobs | $62,000480 jobs | $56,710250 jobs | $61,220330 jobs |
| Arizona | $50,1507,560 jobs | $64,0303,100 jobs | $46,3803,690 jobs | $62,1502,850 jobs |
| Arkansas | $43,3301,150 jobs | $55,6401,250 jobs | $58,5901,040 jobs | $47,790690 jobs |
| California | $65,20060,310 jobs | $89,66017,690 jobs | $79,00019,860 jobs | $63,0106,430 jobs |
| Colorado | $63,7208,200 jobs | $63,4803,670 jobs | $65,6201,640 jobs | $61,6102,190 jobs |
| Connecticut | $78,9705,230 jobs | $79,9001,650 jobs | $78,6401,540 jobs | $69,080460 jobs |
| Delaware | $48,520910 jobs | $64,620780 jobs | $60,060510 jobs | $93,250130 jobs |
| District of Columbia | $73,5502,430 jobs | $94,100420 jobs | $73,310510 jobs | $96,380350 jobs |
| Florida | $56,55014,000 jobs | $64,82010,520 jobs | $51,5905,150 jobs | $58,5504,800 jobs |
| Georgia | $47,5107,110 jobs | $62,4206,970 jobs | $52,0301,330 jobs | $78,2601,510 jobs |
| Hawaii | $68,2701,170 jobs | $85,420660 jobs | $54,390 | $116,130200 jobs |
| Idaho | $59,840810 jobs | $74,500750 jobs | $52,520510 jobs | $88,610210 jobs |
| Illinois | $63,22019,860 jobs | $64,2704,910 jobs | $49,9603,460 jobs | $64,0301,910 jobs |
| Indiana | $50,4706,690 jobs | $64,5803,890 jobs | $48,3002,490 jobs | $84,570460 jobs |
| Iowa | $52,2503,410 jobs | $63,0501,550 jobs | $48,5301,200 jobs | $91,170230 jobs |
| Kansas | $54,3003,190 jobs | $64,4401,360 jobs | $56,3301,620 jobs | – |
| Kentucky | $59,1008,470 jobs | $64,0801,980 jobs | $42,5701,360 jobs | $85,160610 jobs |
| Louisiana | $56,8001,110 jobs | $61,0801,970 jobs | $47,100970 jobs | $69,230850 jobs |
| Maine | $63,2902,000 jobs | $71,610790 jobs | $57,0501,860 jobs | $60,280470 jobs |
| Maryland | $76,3904,710 jobs | $76,4404,750 jobs | $73,5802,250 jobs | $75,6001,270 jobs |
| Massachusetts | $75,57010,900 jobs | $76,4407,220 jobs | $62,5007,440 jobs | $101,280540 jobs |
| Michigan | $59,27015,760 jobs | $67,6004,860 jobs | $60,8304,620 jobs | $62,1401,700 jobs |
| Minnesota | $67,4506,540 jobs | $73,9702,430 jobs | $75,0203,590 jobs | $79,7907,270 jobs |
| Mississippi | $46,5303,310 jobs | $62,2501,890 jobs | $48,970920 jobs | $91,560280 jobs |
| Missouri | $48,5209,620 jobs | $59,8704,430 jobs | $49,5601,640 jobs | $98,740590 jobs |
| Montana | $56,7801,250 jobs | $57,090840 jobs | $45,160740 jobs | $51,650540 jobs |
| Nebraska | $47,7704,830 jobs | $62,420980 jobs | $43,240900 jobs | $76,520220 jobs |
| Nevada | $61,0804,030 jobs | $78,4701,160 jobs | $62,9001,100 jobs | $121,830370 jobs |
| New Hampshire | $71,0101,700 jobs | $78,260590 jobs | $63,900320 jobs | $103,710100 jobs |
| New Jersey | $76,2807,360 jobs | $82,6904,310 jobs | $66,5902,420 jobs | $76,640640 jobs |
| New Mexico | $56,1602,990 jobs | $65,9301,200 jobs | $65,640800 jobs | $90,820250 jobs |
| New York | $65,10030,170 jobs | $73,07020,440 jobs | $79,38014,820 jobs | $84,0102,470 jobs |
| North Carolina | $59,61013,010 jobs | $63,2805,120 jobs | $58,2103,690 jobs | $63,4901,670 jobs |
| North Dakota | $64,560870 jobs | $62,860330 jobs | $60,980240 jobs | $81,330110 jobs |
| Ohio | $51,52016,050 jobs | $63,6108,930 jobs | $46,0806,050 jobs | $59,7803,250 jobs |
| Oklahoma | $43,9506,500 jobs | $56,1202,310 jobs | $43,1201,780 jobs | $101,860320 jobs |
| Oregon | $64,1306,630 jobs | $84,3502,320 jobs | $68,2102,230 jobs | $67,8203,710 jobs |
| Pennsylvania | $50,82016,200 jobs | $61,9009,630 jobs | $48,2903,500 jobs | $74,4301,730 jobs |
| Puerto Rico | $43,6203,370 jobs | $36,0501,200 jobs | $26,500350 jobs | $47,580 |
| Rhode Island | $69,8702,450 jobs | $75,390630 jobs | $60,990800 jobs | $111,59090 jobs |
| South Carolina | $51,8005,520 jobs | $60,8403,100 jobs | $39,930720 jobs | $96,350440 jobs |
| South Dakota | $51,1002,050 jobs | $57,510790 jobs | $48,920230 jobs | $93,760130 jobs |
| Tennessee | $56,3107,870 jobs | $61,2405,970 jobs | $46,5002,220 jobs | $51,4601,910 jobs |
| Texas | $55,68021,670 jobs | $69,99010,880 jobs | $46,6308,220 jobs | $84,2402,880 jobs |
| Utah | $52,0001,930 jobs | $78,1501,750 jobs | $50,7701,240 jobs | $66,440660 jobs |
| Vermont | $67,340640 jobs | $81,140250 jobs | $73,210320 jobs | $73,070110 jobs |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $50,81030 jobs | – | – | $60,45040 jobs |
| Virginia | $61,3309,410 jobs | $66,5503,070 jobs | $64,2403,670 jobs | $92,930860 jobs |
| Washington | $74,48010,720 jobs | $78,5705,180 jobs | $70,4603,490 jobs | $102,520790 jobs |
| West Virginia | $52,2202,380 jobs | $60,1401,100 jobs | $50,070420 jobs | $62,590680 jobs |
| Wisconsin | $59,2805,710 jobs | $66,9103,770 jobs | $61,8601,880 jobs | $62,8301,860 jobs |
| Wyoming | $56,420710 jobs | $62,260180 jobs | $59,310200 jobs | $69,020160 jobs |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. A high median on few jobs describes a small market, so read pay beside the job count.
How to Become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker
The BLS notes that all states require clinical social workers to be licensed. The path has the same shape everywhere, even though the details change by state:
- Earn an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program.
- Get the license or registration your state requires before you count hours. New York generally requires the LMSW, and California requires Associate Clinical Social Worker registration.
- Complete supervised clinical experience after graduation.
- Pass the ASWB Clinical exam, plus any state law or ethics exam.
- Apply for the clinical license.
Here is how three large states set the supervised experience:
| State | Supervised experience | Supervision | Exams |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York LCSW | 36 months full time, within six years | At least 100 hours in person | ASWB Clinical |
| Texas LCSW | 3,000 hours over at least 24 months | At least 100 hours | ASWB Clinical and the Texas jurisprudence exam |
| California LCSW | 3,000 hours over at least 104 weeks | Register as an ASW before counting hours | California Law and Ethics, then ASWB Clinical |
ASWB runs four exams: Bachelors, Masters, Advanced Generalist and Clinical. Each has 122 questions and a four-hour limit. The Masters exam costs US$230 and the Clinical exam US$260. The ASWB exam guide explains which one each state uses, the LCSW requirements page covers every state’s hours, and the LMSW license page covers the master’s-level license you hold while you accrue them.
Licenses for Non-Clinical Social Work
Not every MSW job needs a clinical license. The BLS notes that some states also require licenses or credentials for nonclinical positions, so a child welfare, school or program management job may call for a master’s-level license such as the LMSW in New York or Texas. The social work license guide lists each state’s tiers.
Moving between states still means a new license for now. The Social Work Licensure Compact’s site lists 33 jurisdictions that have passed it as of September 2026, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued, and the compact says implementation takes 12 to 24 months. Until then, plan to apply in each state where you practice.
MSW Salary by Social Work Occupation
These are BLS May 2025 national figures for the four social worker occupations:
| Occupation | Employed | Median pay | Lowest 10% earn under | Top 10% earn over |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, family and school social workers | 392,550 | $59,550 | $42,280 | $95,530 |
| Healthcare social workers | 187,630 | $67,880 | $46,220 | $100,360 |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | 132,810 | $60,280 | $39,740 | $104,170 |
| Social workers, all other | 62,930 | $71,900 | $43,620 | $115,610 |
Location also moves pay. The highest state medians for healthcare social workers are in the District of Columbia ($94,100) and California ($89,660). For child, family and school social workers, Connecticut ($78,970) and Maryland ($76,390) lead. For mental health and substance abuse social workers, New York ($79,380) and California ($79,000) are highest.
Matching Your MSW Specialization to the Job
Your concentration decides your advanced coursework and the kind of field placement you get. Here is how many verified programs offer each focus:
- Clinical and mental health: 256 programs. See clinical MSW programs.
- Macro, administration and policy: 142. See macro social work MSW programs.
- Child and family: 112. See child and family MSW programs.
- Health and medical: 67. See medical social work MSW programs.
- School: 39. See school social work MSW programs.
- Aging: 35. See gerontology MSW programs.
- Substance use: 29. See substance use MSW programs.
Some programs build two paths into one degree. Aurora University’s online MSW lists ten tracks, including Military and Veteran Social Work, School Social Work and Forensics. The University of Alabama at Birmingham centers its MSW on clinical and medical social work.
How to Pick Your Path
A short checklist before you choose a program:
- Decide whether you want to provide therapy. If yes, you need the clinical route: a clinical concentration, a clinical placement and two or more years of supervised experience after graduation.
- Check your state’s clinical hours now. They range from 3,000 hours over two years in Texas to 36 months in New York.
- Match the employer type to your loan plans. Government employers, the largest group at 27%, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness; the MSW cost guide explains the rules.
- Pick a placement in the setting you want. Field education is at least 900 hours in an accredited MSW, which is your best chance to test a setting before you commit to it.
- Weigh location. Healthcare social workers earn a median of $94,100 in the District of Columbia against $67,880 nationally.
When you are ready to compare programs, the program matcher filters by specialization and format, and the MSW specializations guide compares concentrations side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Be a Therapist With an MSW?
Yes, once you are licensed. The BLS describes clinical social workers as licensed to diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional disorders and to provide individual, group, family and couples therapy. The license requires supervised clinical experience after the MSW and the ASWB Clinical exam.
How Long After an MSW Can You Become an LCSW?
At least two years in the three large states checked here. Texas requires 3,000 supervised hours over at least 24 months and California 3,000 hours over at least 104 weeks, while New York requires 36 months of full-time supervised experience.
What Does the ASWB Exam Cost?
ASWB lists its Bachelors and Masters exams at US$230 and its Advanced Generalist and Clinical exams at US$260. Each exam has 122 questions, 110 of them scored, with a four-hour time limit. Apply to your state board before you register.
Can You Use an MSW License in Another State?
Not automatically yet. The Social Work Licensure Compact's site lists 33 jurisdictions that have passed it as of September 2026, but multistate licenses are not yet being issued, and the compact says implementation takes 12 to 24 months. Until then you apply for a license in each state where you practice.
Which Social Work Jobs Pay the Most?
Among the four BLS occupations, the social workers, all other group has the highest national median at $71,900, followed by healthcare social workers at $67,880. Child, family and school social workers have the lowest median, $59,550, and the largest headcount, 392,550.
Do You Need an MSW to Be a Social Worker?
Not for every role. The BLS says most social workers need either a bachelor's or a master's degree in social work and that a BSW is the typical entry point for nonclinical positions. Clinical social workers typically need an MSW.
Keep Reading
- MSW SpecializationsThe main MSW specializations, how many verified programs offer each, and the jobs and licenses each one leads to
- Social Work Degree LevelsThe BSW, MSW and doctoral social work degrees, what each qualifies you for and how advanced standing links them
- MSW Admission RequirementsWhat MSW programs require for admission, with counts from verified program pages
- MSW Cost and Financial AidMSW tuition from verified programs, advanced standing savings, federal aid and loan forgiveness for social workers
- MSW Dual DegreesEvery verified dual degree paired with the MSW, by school
- Social Work LicensingHow social work licensing works, the license tiers, the ASWB exams and where to find each state's rules
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Workers
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Social workers, all other
- ASWB: The social work licensing exams
- New York Office of the Professions: LCSW license requirements
- Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners: How to become an LCSW
- California Board of Behavioral Sciences: LCSW
- Social Work Licensure Compact: compact jurisdictions
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 21-1021, 21-1022, 21-1023 and 21-1029
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Workers