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What is an adoption social worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.
The average adoption social worker salary is $53,309. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an social work major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become an adoption social worker. Adoption social workers with a Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 64,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an adoption social worker?

Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D.Dr. Tommy Casarez Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Dr., Assistant Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Vanguard University

Opportunities come in many different shapes and sizes, but they are still out there. Whether you are seeking to land a job in education or the non-profit sector, you will need to familiarize yourself and get used to all things digital, for the sake of communicating effectively. The younger your student or service partner's mindset, the more digitally savvy you will need to be, especially in the classroom and in the non-profit world.
ScoreAdoption Social WorkerUS Average
Salary
4.2

Avg. Salary $53,309

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.51%

Asian 2.67%

Black or African American 13.37%

Hispanic or Latino 15.12%

Unknown 4.19%

White 63.14%

Gender

female 87.48%

male 12.52%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Adoption social worker career paths

Key steps to become an adoption social worker

  1. Explore adoption social worker education requirements

    Most common adoption social worker degrees

    Bachelor's

    55.2 %

    Master's

    40.2 %

    Associate

    3.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific adoption social worker skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Social Work12.86%
    Foster Care10.70%
    Child Abuse9.53%
    Mental Health6.55%
    Birth Parents5.02%
  3. Complete relevant adoption social worker training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New adoption social workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an adoption social worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real adoption social worker resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming an licensed adoption social worker usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed adoption social worker in most of states. 32 states require adoption social workers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense url
    KansasDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredLicensed Master Social Worker
    AlabamaDegree requiredState exam requiredLicensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)
    ArkansasDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredLicensed Certified Social Worker
    HawaiiDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredLicensed Social Worker
    IdahoDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredSocial Workers
  5. Research adoption social worker duties and responsibilities

    • Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
    • Train foster parents on DHS requirements for caregiver roles.
    • Conduct interviews with agency and DHS staff relate to children free for adoption.
    • Work with a complex interdisciplinary team facilitating treatment for patients on medical floors including oncology, dialysis, cardiac and maternity.
  6. Prepare your adoption social worker resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your adoption social worker resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an adoption social worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable adoption social worker resume templates

    Build a professional adoption social worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your adoption social worker resume.
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
    Adoption Social Worker Resume
  7. Apply for adoption social worker jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an adoption social worker job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first adoption social worker job

Zippi

Are you an adoption social worker?

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Average adoption social worker salary

The average adoption social worker salary in the United States is $53,309 per year or $26 per hour. Adoption social worker salaries range between $43,000 and $65,000 per year.

Average adoption social worker salary
$53,309 Yearly
$25.63 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do adoption social workers rate their job?

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Adoption social worker reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Working collaboratively with clients to help them understand themselves and experience their authentic selves. Learning from my clients.

Cons

Low pay


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

Serving people, impacting change in communities, never boring

Cons

pay is low for what you need to do


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Cons

It took me five years to get to a full-time caseload of clients, but my wife supported me with her full time job while my client load increased. Now I’m booked up 4 to five weeks in advance and making an excellent salary, living abroad in Switzerland.

Pros

I work for myself in my private practice as a Clinical Social Worker and Couples Therapist. I love the work that I do with teens and adults to help them overcome their issues in life.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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