According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020), the overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 13 percent from 2019 to 2029. For sheer variety, few professions can match social work, which offers a range of opportunities in public agencies, private businesses, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and countless other workplaces. Here are just a few of the possible career directions for a social work major.
- Adoption specialist
- Adult day care worker
- Boy Scout district executive
- Career counselor
- Case manager
| - Information and referral coordinator
- Labor relations specialist
- *Marriage counselor
- Medical social worker
- Mental health worker
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- Case worker
- Child welfare worker
- City manager/planner
- *Clinical social worker
- Community organizer
| - Military social work
- Nursing home social worker
- Occupational social worker
- Outreach worker
- Patient advocate
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- Community service agency director
- Consultant
- Cooperative extension worker
- Counselor for developmentally disabled
- Counselor (vocational rehabilitation)
| - Peace Corps/VISTA volunteer
- Personnel manager
- Police officer
- Policy analyst
- Political advocate
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- Drug rehabilitation counselor
- *Educator
- *Employee assistance counselor
- Family services social worker
- Federal service (professional careers)
| - Prison social worker
- Probation officer
- Program evaluator
- Protective service worker
- Psychiatric social worker
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- Foster care worker
- Gerontologist
- Girl Scout executive staff worker
- Grant writer
- Group home supervisor
| - Public administrator
- Public relations manager
- Public welfare administrator
- Recreation worker
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- Home care social worker
- Hospital administrator
- Housing specialist
- Human services worker
- Income maintenance worker
| - Rehabilitation worker
- Research assistant
- Residential counselor
- School social worker
- Social service aide
- Survey worker
- Technical writer
- Youth worker
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*May require MSW or other advanced degree
