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Family caseworker job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected family caseworker job growth rate is 9% from 2018-2028.
About 64,000 new jobs for family caseworkers are projected over the next decade.
Family caseworker salaries have increased 12% for family caseworkers in the last 5 years.
There are over 46,696 family caseworkers currently employed in the United States.
There are 29,183 active family caseworker job openings in the US.
The average family caseworker salary is $42,178.
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 46,696 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 45,057 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 45,001 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 43,966 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 42,071 | 0.01% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $42,178 | $20.28 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $41,273 | $19.84 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $40,297 | $19.37 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $38,651 | $18.58 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $37,667 | $18.11 | +2.1% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 613 | 10% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 140 | 10% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 626 | 9% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 547 | 7% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 224 | 7% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 95 | 7% |
| 7 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 57 | 7% |
| 8 | Alaska | 739,795 | 50 | 7% |
| 9 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 47 | 7% |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 398 | 6% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 339 | 6% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 123 | 6% |
| 13 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 120 | 6% |
| 14 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 49 | 6% |
| 15 | New York | 19,849,399 | 920 | 5% |
| 16 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 606 | 5% |
| 17 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 258 | 5% |
| 18 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 197 | 5% |
| 19 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 76 | 5% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 33 | 5% |
Ohio University
Ohio University
Colorado State University - Pueblo
Campbellsville University
Pennsylvania State University
Siena College
Nazareth College of Rochester
Nebraska Christian College
Kennesaw State University
Azusa Pacific University
Emily McCave PhD, MSW, LCSW: Most people find social work to be incredibly rewarding, knowing that you are a facilitator of positive change, whether be within an individual, organization, or at a larger community or societal level. For many, being able to help people reach their full capacity is fulfilling. The amount of documentation we must complete in clinical settings is often what is liked the least.
Emily McCave PhD, MSW, LCSW: The need for social workers is high, particularly after the pandemic. A shortage of social workers means that there's an increasing demand in the field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics social work jobs are expected to increase 13% between 2020 and 2030.
Emily McCave PhD, MSW, LCSW: For clinical positions, which is what most social workers do, daily tasks typically include conducting assessments and providing individual, family, and/or group therapy to children and/or adults, while collaborating with other providers working with the client. There is also daily clinical documentation that needs to be completed.
L. Justin Wheeler: One of the best ways to improve skills, continue to learn, and access support is to work as part of a team – take advantage of opportunities for group supervision, peer consultation, and interprofessional collaboration.
Jennifer Shadik: Social workers are involved in helping individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a variety of ways. Depending on the specific job, they may provide education, mediate conflict, connect individuals and families to resources, provide therapeutic intervention, and/or develop policies to help at an individual or national level.
Pamela Richmond Ph.D.: Challenges social workers can face are high caseloads, not enough resources to assist clients and exposure to horrific aspects of humanity. Social workers enjoy being a part of the change process by recognizing the strengths and resiliency of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Workers advocate for individuals that are marginalized and oppressed, ensuring they have a voice. They enjoy looking at solutions to problems and empowering others to make changes beneficial for their lives.
Pamela Richmond Ph.D.: Social workers are trained to understand and intervene on three levels—micro (individuals and families), mezzo (formal groups and organizations) and macro (community and the broader society). Given the challenges currently taking place nationally and internationally such as poverty, immigration, abortion controversy, societal racism/discrimination and the war in the middle east, social workers are trained to intervene and advocate for change on a variety of system levels.
Campbellsville University
Social Work
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW: The best thing about being a Social Worker is the ability to serve, assist and empower other individuals who are facing challenges within their life. Although this can be very overwhelming, at times the rewards this can provide, and self-fulfillment is hard to put into words. One of the greatest challenges of Social Work is maintaining adequate self-care and knowing that you can impact or help all individuals. This can be extremely challenging and overwhelming, particularly for new workers. One must ensure that they have adequate supervision, education, and resources to protect their wellbeing or burnout is highly likely.
Dr. J. Lendrum PhD: Trust yourself and follow your passions. It is possible to find a meaningful career that aligns with your core interests and values.
James Andrews LCSW, LICSW, BCD: Completing the MSW and graduating as a professional social worker is exciting and can be overwhelming. There are some general areas of professional development that I would strongly recommend new social workers entering the workforce focus on addressing. The first (and in many ways perhaps the most important) is to actively network. Connect with peers and mentors by building and maintaining professional relationships through joining professional organizations and attending industry events such as conferences and other professional events. Join your state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and become active; don’t just pay your dues every year. Contact the chapter office and volunteer for a committee and run for a volunteer leadership position. Get involved! Next, be adaptable! If the social service field is characterized by any one quality, it is change. Cultivating the ability to grow, adapt to new technologies, methodologies, and work environments will be crucial to one’s career success. Not only does the quality of flexibility makes one a valuable employee and prepares you for unexpected challenges and opportunities, but it is also a central trait needed for those who desire to open their own clinical practices one day. Related to adaptability is the practice of continuous learning. Social work and the larger industry of social services ever evolving, so it is imperative that new graduates embrace the idea that even though they have graduated, they must always be students, ever learning and developing new skills. This involves a commitment to lifelong learning which involves pursuing certifications, workshops attendance, and staying updated with the latest industry trends and technologies through independent reading and research. This not only keeps your skills relevant but also demonstrates your commitment to professional growth. And finally, and too often ignored, is the importance of developing and cultivating what are called “soft skills”. Skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management a(and others) are essential. For the successful social worker. Such soft skills complement one’s technical abilities and are highly valued by employers. And in many ways are what will enable a person to advance in their career.
Siena College
Social Sciences
Elisa Martin Ph.D., MSW: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the need for social workers will grow faster than many other professions, which means finding employment upon graduation will not be a problem.
Elisa Martin Ph.D., MSW: Social workers are committed to creating a more socially just world through social change. People who are invested in helping others find social work values resonate and pursue their careers with passion. That said, social work is a demanding profession, and it is important to take care of yourself so you can stay committed to the work without burning out.
Erin Cole DSW, LCSW: When you're looking for jobs, don't look for a forever job. Find something that seems like a good fit right now. The pressure for it to be forever is too much. Do it for as long as it feels right and move on when it doesn't. Also, remember that being a new graduate is an asset! You are more current on trends in social work, literature, and evidence-based practices than many seasoned professionals. You add value to the setting and should not minimize that by falling back on being new in the field.
Cynthia Peters MSW: It is a good profession to enter now, due to the need for social workers in some of the jobs that I mentioned in the previous question. Social Workers can provide a different perspective on service delivery. Meeting the clients where they are at; developing relationships with the community; advocating for client services; writing grants; monitoring grants; brokering services......
Cynthia Peters MSW: Social Work is a profession that can be in many places: hospital, university, government agencies, fire departments, court systems, homeless shelters, behavioral health facilities, schools, private practices, non-profit agencies, hospice care, senior programs, just to name a few. So depending on where a social workers find a job will determine what they do on a day to day basis.
Nebraska Christian College
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
Christine Kiewra: The HDFS program is a flexible degree that offers the “human” element that is necessary but often missing from pre-health and pre-law tracks. The flexibility also allows for students to double major and broaden their learning outcomes.
Christine Kiewra: This profession includes information that everyone needs to be a functioning adult in society (family finance, human development, close relationships).
Cindy Snell: Be able to articulate the skills and experience you have that are relevant to the jobs you are seeking - tell your story! Learn another language than English. Negotiate your hiring terms. Learn about loan forgiveness options.
Cindy Snell: Your first job out of school is not often your “dream job”. Consider it as an important step in your career journey. Evaluate job offers holistically, including salary & benefits, skill building, moving towards advanced licensure, good supervision and office culture. There are many ways to contribute to the field of social work. You will find your way on the way. Create a support network. This can include friends to have fun with, social work classmates to form a peer advising group, a mentor to help you chart your career path. Create your self-care strategy and stick with it. Bring joy, reduce stress, step away. Use continuing education requirements to advance your career.
Cindy Snell: Working effectively with diverse populations. This includes knowing your own biases, speaking another language, and continually striving for cultural competence. Openness to learning/integrating new technologies and careful consideration of their impact on the services you provide clients. These could include telehealth, record keeping, and the use of AI. Advocacy. Social workers need to advocate for their clients but also for policies that affect their clients and the field of social work. Social workers also need to remember to advocate for themselves and know this is not selfish but often allows them to be more effective social workers.
Camille Coleman: Do your research within the state and or country, and or agency you are seeking potential employment. Look up the laws, compare them to other states, don't be afraid to look at all careers within the social work field, for example research in social work gets overlooked, facilitation, curriculum development, etc. Future social workers should seek reciprocity in multiple states to practice counseling services after obtaining one's licensure, if wanting to provide therapeutic services. This will give one leverage to negotiate higher salary requests.
Camille Coleman: Organizational management is a more necessary prevalent skill due to the importance of documentation and the advancement of telehealth services. Learning multiple EHR (electronic health records) systems as well as being proactive in knowing the laws as it pertains to provide therapeutic services within multiple states.
Dr. Aimée Vadnais Psy.D, LMFT: Keep in touch with your professors and classmates. They will be able to provide you with letters of recommendations in the future, connect you with job leads, and can make introductions to you to people in the field. Keep your resume current with any trainings or seminars that you attend and include additional certifications you obtain. Keep educating yourself by taking continuing education to learn more about certain topics, theories, interventions, or populations you are interested in learning more about. Network through CAMFT or AAMFT by attending their local chapter events, where you can meet others in the field in your area. Lastly, create a Linked In page so you can advertise about yourself and form local connections with others in your field.
Dr. Aimée Vadnais Psy.D, LMFT: Research the going rates in your industry and ask colleagues to have a good idea. Recognize your worth and advocate for yourself during pay discussions. Highlight unique skill sets that may be valuable to the agency. Provide free education nights to benefit the community, potentially leading to clients. Find a niche population you enjoy working with and market your services specifically to this area.
Andrew Schoolnik: Saying 'yes' to as many challenges and tasks as possible. The accumulation of these experiences will create new opportunities and the cumulation of myriad opportunities is central to career advancement. The 2021 revision to the Social Work Code of Ethics includes the importance of self-care, and saying 'yes' must be balanced with this.
Andrew Schoolnik: Dialogue and compromise. There are many apparatuses in today's society which are designed to pull people apart. Cable news and online news sites are famous examples of this. Add to this the echo chambers of social media where people largely associate with like-minded people while looking negatively at those with a different world view. This silo-ing of society is the antithesis of dialogue and compromise. Instead, it creates a class system of those who agree (the favored class) and those who disagree (the unfavored class).
On a macro level, the more the social worker dialogues with all stakeholders (those in favor and those opposed) the more that person gains knowledge and goodwill. This is at the heart of compromise - winning being defined as doing the most good for the most people.
On a clinical level, social workers work mutually with their clients. Learning about a client's values begins with dialogue (even when our values are different) and creating treatment plans is often-based on compromise (agency policy/goals, and client goals).
Alexis Henderson M.S., OTR/L, CLT, OCC: Never take the first salary offer but also do not get hung up on salary right out of the gate. Remember that helping professions are about more than money. Take every single continuing education and training opportunity that comes your way or that you can find. Training and becoming a master at your craft is how you increase your salary most productively!
Dr. Roxanne Ruiz-Adams: To maximize your salary potential in social work, consider a strategy that encompasses specialization, certification, leadership, negotiation, and geographic location. Specializing in fields with a high demand but low supply of social workers, such as mental health, substance abuse, or medical social work, can often lead to higher salaries due to the specialized skills and knowledge required. Enhancing your marketability through additional certifications in your chosen area of expertise not only boosts your credibility but also opens the door to better job opportunities and higher pay. Aim for leadership roles within the field, like program management or administration, as these positions typically come with increased responsibility and, consequently, higher compensation. Don't hesitate to negotiate your salary by leveraging your qualifications and experiences, along with the knowledge of the average pay for similar roles in your area; effective negotiation is underpinned by thorough research and preparation. Finally, consider the geographic location as a factor in your salary potential, since some regions offer higher salaries for social workers due to differences in the cost of living, the demand for services, or the levels of funding available for social programs. Being open to relocating can be a significant step toward securing better compensation opportunities.
Embarking on a career in social work is both a professional commitment and a personal journey. By focusing on continuous learning, skill development, and advocating for both yourself and your clients, you can build a rewarding career that makes a significant impact on society.
Dr. Roxanne Ruiz-Adams: Embarking on a career in social work demands a commitment to embrace lifelong learning, as the field is constantly evolving with new challenges and methodologies. It's essential to continuously update your knowledge through workshops, conferences, and further education to remain relevant and effective. Equally important is the cultivation of empathy and resilience, which allows you to connect deeply with clients while navigating the emotional and psychological demands of the job, ensuring a balance between compassion and self-care. Networking and collaborating with other professionals, both within and outside the field of social work, opens up new perspectives, resources, and opportunities for professional growth. Advocacy for social justice is a cornerstone of social work, pushing for broader social changes and addressing systemic issues that affect clients. Lastly, regular reflection on your practice is crucial for personal and professional development, allowing you to seek feedback and be open to constructive criticism, thereby enhancing your skills and effectiveness
Nicole Willis Ph.D., LMSW: Maximizing your salary first starts with doing the groundwork in the junior and senior year of the Social Work program. You'll want to have a strong and competitive professional resume that show how you stand-out from the other job seekers. The second phase is during the entry-level job interview phase. Best advice I ever received about salary is to NOT accept the first salary offered right away. Let your potential employer know that you'd like a day or two to think about the offer. During those two days, do your homework. Find out what is the average pay for like positions there and in other organizations. Talk with mentors you have within your professional network to get their thoughts on your offer. Don't be afraid to negotiate salary or negotiate the possibility that the potential employer would include paying for you to participate in a conference every year so you can earn the CEUs you need to maintain your Social Work license. In Social Work, we utilize great humility when working with clients and client systems. However, when in the office interviewing and considering that salary offer, put that humility aside for a while and think like a business person.
Nicole Willis Ph.D., LMSW: Maximizing your salary first starts with doing the groundwork in the junior and senior year of the Social Work program. You'll want to have a strong and competitive professional resume that show how you stand-out from the other job seekers. The second phase is during the entry-level job interview phase. Best advice I ever received about salary is to NOT accept the first salary offered right away. Let your potential employer know that you'd like a day or two to think about the offer. During those two days, do your homework. Find out what is the average pay for like positions there and in other organizations. Talk with mentors you have within your professional network to get their thoughts on your offer. Don't be afraid to negotiate salary or negotiate the possibility that the potential employer would include paying for you to participate in a conference every year so you can earn the CEUs you need to maintain your Social Work license. In Social Work, we utilize great humility when working with clients and client systems. However, when in the office interviewing and considering that salary offer, put that humility aside for a while and think like a business person.
Candace Riddley: To ensure that salary potential is maximized in the field of social work, it is imperative that certifications/licenses in the field are obtained, resumes are clean and reflect true experiences, and effective communication is shown. It is also very important that candidates for any position have a quality that sticks out from other potential candidates. This could encompass great leadership skills, verbal skills, or a combination of both.
Candace Riddley: I would encourage a beginning graduate to find a mentor who works in the field of social work. Mentorship is a great way for social workers to enhance their skills, knowledge, and career paths. This is an opportunity to provide guidance, support, feedback, and networking opportunities. Lastly, mentorship provides the opportunity to discuss job-related issues, career concerns, licensure, and challenges within the field. Mentorship is a great way to help graduates grow personally and professionally.
Jeffrey Bryant MSW, LCSW: Social Work is one of the fastest-growing professions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of social workers will grow 12% between now and 2030. In a Bachelor of Social Work program, we earn a generalist degree. Where the goal is to learn enough about everything in social work practice so we can make a competent referral. Therefore, being able to work with any population of people and being able to know and share all resources that this population would need. In addition, the more experience and training we receive and further education (Master of Social Work, MSW) the better we will be prepared to serve others.
Jeffrey Bryant MSW, LCSW: Keep building on your knowledge and skills with each job and learn more tools for your social work toolbox. The more continued CEU (certified education units) and additional education Master of Social Work (MSW) the more we maximize our salary potential.
Jeffrey Bryant MSW, LCSW: The goal of social workers is to serve others. We need to do this with confidence and applying what we have learned from our schooling. Keep learning and growing in the field and make sure we take care of yourself as you move forward.