How to hire a social work internship

How to hire a social work internship, step by step

Here's a step-by-step social work internship hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a social work internship job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new social work internship
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a social work internship do?

Post a social work internship job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The social work internship hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A social work internship's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, social work interns from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of social work internship salaries for various roles:

   Type of Social Work Internship	Description	Hourly rate
   Social Work Internship	Social and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.	$12-24
   Mental Health Professional	The duties of a mental health professional will revolve around observing the behavior of patients. They are responsible for knowing their medical history, conducting consultations and assessments, diagnosing conditions, devising particular treatments and prescribing medication, and providing emotional support to patients... Show more	$16-33
   Family Counselor	A Family Counselor treats married couples or family members in order to help them overcome mental or emotional problems. They provide effective treatment measures to help the family members resolve their issues.	$12-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Social Work
   • Intake Assessments
   • Mental Health
   • Community Resources
   • Substance Abuse
   • Discharge Planning
   • Child Abuse
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Group Therapy Sessions
   • Bio-Psychosocial Assessments
   • Social Services
   • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
   • Mental Illness

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
   • Collaborate with multidisciplinary team to provide necessary referrals and counseling to achieve establish patient goals.
   • Participate in program development relate to identify needs of oncology population
   • Provide emotional support and referrals to veterans and family members/ significant others in support of veteran's treatment.
   • Utilize Kenshoo to build and optimize Facebook campaigns.
   • Monitor timely completion of all reports, progress notes and maintenance of chart to ensure DHS compliance.

   More social work internship duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your social work internship job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A social work internship salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a social work internship in South Carolina may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level social work internship usually earns less than a senior-level social work internship. Additionally, a social work internship with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average social work internship salary

   $37,178yearly

   $17.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level social work internship salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average social work internship salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	North Dakota	$53,237	$26
   2	California	$46,853	$23
   3	Connecticut	$46,380	$22
   4	District of Columbia	$45,365	$22
   5	Illinois	$43,267	$21
   6	Minnesota	$42,927	$21
   7	New York	$40,340	$19
   8	New Jersey	$39,788	$19
   9	Colorado	$38,685	$19
   10	Michigan	$36,720	$18
   11	Arizona	$35,856	$17
   12	Ohio	$35,775	$17
   13	Virginia	$35,482	$17
   14	Florida	$34,959	$17
   15	Utah	$34,270	$16
   16	North Carolina	$32,884	$16
   17	West Virginia	$32,265	$16
   18	Texas	$31,249	$15
   19	Georgia	$30,570	$15
   20	Mississippi	$29,949	$14

   Average social work internship salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	DTCC	$51,672	$24.84	1
   2	VMware	$51,389	$24.71
   3	Oracle	$49,990	$24.03	333
   4	Children's Hospital Colorado	$46,406	$22.31	17
   5	American Care	$44,403	$21.35
   6	Protective Insurance	$44,376	$21.33
   7	LG&E and KU	$44,354	$21.32
   8	International Rescue Committee	$43,539	$20.93
   9	Addison Trail High School	$42,467	$20.42
   10	County Of Los Angeles Public Library	$41,988	$20.19
   11	Novelis	$41,794	$20.09
   12	Community Medical Center	$41,376	$19.89	2
   13	Meridian Health Services	$40,996	$19.71	1
   14	Moreno Valley Unified School District	$40,990	$19.71
   15	Brave Care	$40,674	$19.55	14
   16	Henry Ford Health System	$40,301	$19.38	2
   17	Southern Healthcare	$40,060	$19.26
   18	Universal Health Services	$39,239	$18.86	344
   19	Waukegan High School	$38,074	$18.30	1
   20	American Public Media Group	$37,846	$18.20

4. Writing a social work internship job description

   A good social work internship job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a social work internship job description:

   Social work internship job description example

   Social Responsibility Intern, Spring 2023
   
   Be a part of an innovative team and culture...
   
   Enterprise Social Responsibility (ESR) works on enterprise social purpose strategies and supports TWDC's goal of inspiring a better world through the power of stories. Disney aspires to be equally admired for the integrity of our people, as we are for the quality of our exceptional entertainment experiences. ESR drives enterprise-wide philanthropy, community and consumer engagement efforts that help bring to life the social purpose of the company. Our group works side by side with all of the businesses and regions of TWDC to build and deploy strategies and tactics that drive value for society, our brand and businesses.
   
   Delivering joy and comfort to children facing illness and the people who care for them is a core part of our team's mission. Our commitment is reflected in Disney's $100 million global investment in helping reimagine the patient experience, and in our efforts to help grant life-changing Disney wishes for children when they're needed most. We bring the positive power of Disney stories and characters to children in more than 750 children's hospitals and pediatric places of care around the world, and to nearly 100 wish-granting organizations globally. Since the first life-changing wish was granted at Disneyland in 1980, Disney has helped fulfill more than 145,000 magical wishes with Make-A-Wish . Our goal is to help kids feel like kids rather than patients, by sharing unforgettable moments with their families.
   
   Make an impact by...
   
   * Project coordination support of highly visible consumer social impact campaigns as well as children's hospitals and wish granting initiatives
   * Help manage asset clearance coordination, asset material and release forms, and consolidation and organization of photo and video assets in Digital Asset management tool system
   * Contribute to creative reviews and provide feedback rooted in strategic insights and the competitive digital landscape
   * Develop informational one sheets, toolkits, guidelines, highlighting program elements and campaigns for use across the enterprise and for nonprofit partners
   * Manage program documentation and ensure updated regularly including SOPs, guidebooks, tools and supporting documentation
   
   What you bring to the role...
   
   * Experience in marketing with a focus on digital
   * Strong communication, marketing, analytical and presentation skills
   * Strong project management skills
   * Exceptional organization skills and attention to detail
   * Ability to work as a team player and under tight deadlines
   * Proven ability to be a self-starter and effectively problem solve
   * Enthusiastic with a strong work ethic
   * Highly proficient in Microsoft Office, with an emphasis on Power Point and Excel
   
   It would be nice if you also had...
   
   * Strong computer skills and graphic design experience with knowledge of Adobe suite of products including InDesign and Photoshop
   * Experience in either brand marketing, consumer product marketing, brand communications, or digital marketing agency
   
   Required Education…
   
   * A junior, senior or recent graduate pursuing a bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Public Health or related
   
   Internship Eligibility...
   
   * Must be enrolled in an accredited college/university taking at least one class in the semester/quarter (spring/fall) prior to participation in the internship program OR must have graduated from a college/university within 6 months OR currently participating in a Disney College Program or Disney Professional Internship
   * Must be at least 18 years of age
   * Must not have completed one year of continual employment on a Disney internship or program
   * Must possess unrestricted work authorization
   * The approximate dates of this internship are January - June 2023
   * Candidate must be available to work part time for the duration of the internship
   * If working as a hybrid position -- Must be able to provide own housing and reliable transportation for work in the Burbank, CA area. Also requires a working, reliable internet connection as well as a quiet, dedicated workspace.
   * If working as a remote position - Requires a working, reliable internet connection as well as a quiet, dedicated workspace.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find social work interns for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your social work internship job on Zippia to find and recruit social work internship candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting social work interns requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new social work internship

   Once you've selected the best social work internship candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new social work internship. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a social work internship?