How To Become A Group Social Worker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a group social worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Virginia Schwindt

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a group social worker. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.09 an hour? That's $52,195 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 12% and produce 52,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a group social worker?

Virginia Schwindt

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.

ScoreGroup Social WorkerUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,195

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.65%

Asian 6.67%

Black or African American 13.09%

Hispanic or Latino 16.67%

Unknown 4.74%

White 57.19%

Gender

female 65.65%

male 34.35%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a group social worker

Explore group social worker education requirements

Most common group social worker degrees

Bachelor's

61.6 %

Master's

33.6 %

Associate

1.6 %

Start to develop specific group social worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	38.70%
Community Resources	12.75%
Crisis Intervention	10.74%
Discharge Planning	7.92%
Mental Illness	7.22%

Complete relevant group social worker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New group 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 a group social worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real group social worker resumes.

Research group social worker duties and responsibilities

Lead and co-le CBT and DBT skills-base groups with participants, as well as relapse prevention, mindfulness and process groups.
Conduct structured reminiscences and life review techniques with seniors to increase cognitive stimulation while promoting self-esteem among Alzheimer's patients.
Document cases using DMH standards.
Document sessions, consults, diagnostic updates, and treatment goals using DMH documentation.

Prepare your group social worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your group 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 a group 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 group social worker resume templates

Build a professional group 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 group social worker resume.

Apply for group social worker jobs

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

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

How do group social workers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Group social worker reviews

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

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

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.

What is a group social worker and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a group social worker?

Group social worker career paths

Key steps to become a group social worker

Explore group social worker education requirements

Most common group social worker degrees

Start to develop specific group social worker skills

Complete relevant group social worker training and internships

Research group social worker duties and responsibilities

Prepare your group social worker resume

Choose from 10+ customizable group social worker resume templates

Apply for group social worker jobs

How did you land your first group social worker job

Average group social worker salary

How do group social workers rate their job?

Group social worker reviews