Considering pursuing your Bachelor of Social Work degree and wondering how much a BSW makes? Or, are you looking to increase your BSW salary? Then this guide is for you!
As a social worker with an undergraduate degree, you have valuable skills and knowledge, and you deserve to be fairly compensated for them.
That’s why, in this article, we breakdown the average salary for BSWs across the nation. You’ll learn how much BSWs tend to make in each state, and discover the most lucrative career options.
Additionally, we cover the steps you can take to earn more money, from simply gaining experience and choosing the right work setting to earning an advanced degree and clinical licensure.
So, keep reading to take the first step toward earning the money you deserve and making a bigger difference in people’s lives.
Table of Contents
- How Much Does A BSW Make?
- What Is The Highest-Paying Job For A BSW?
- BSW Salary By State
- How Can You Increase Your BSW Salary?
- Start Earning A Higher BSW Salary
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How Much Does A BSW Make?
According to Salary.com, the average salary for a BSW social worker in the United States is $65,505 per year.
Additionally, salaries typically fall between $52,499 and $79,916 per year. This is the equivalent to an average BSW salary of $31 per hour, usually falling within a range of $25 to $38 an hour.
Overall, this is significantly lower than the average MSW salary of $72,037, and the average LCSW salary of $80,050.
However, it’s worth noting that your specific salary potential as a BSW is dependent on several factors, like location, years of experience, and more. We’ll talk more about these factors and how to increase your BSW salary potential later in this article.
What Is The Highest-Paying Job For A BSW?
Generally, the highest-paying job for a BSW will be a social worker role in a medical, hospital, or clinical setting.
While only Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) can provide direct clinical interventions, BSWs focus on providing support, advocacy, resource coordination, and basic counseling.
To make even more money in these settings, you may want to consider earning your Master In Social Work degree. This way, you can pursue LCSW licensure and provide direct clinical interventions, allowing you to increase your salary potential.
For now though, let’s look at some of the highest-paying BSW jobs. While these jobs are all important roles in and of themselves, they can often serve as stepping stones to more advanced careers after furthering your education and earning LCSW licensure.
Hospital Social Worker
Hospital social workers assist in the discharge planning process, ensuring that patients have the necessary follow-up care after leaving the hospital.
They provide basic counseling and emotional support to patients and their families during the hospital stay.
Medical Social Worker
Medical social workers help patients navigate the healthcare system and access community resources.
They conduct initial assessments to identify patient needs and make referrals to appropriate services.
Palliative Care Social Worker
Palliative care social workers Provide vital emotional support and resource guidance for patients and families facing terminal illnesses.
They assist in coordinating care plans, advocate for the patient’s needs within the palliative care team, and handle logistical aspects of care, such as arranging for home health services or medical equipment.
Rehabilitation Social Worker
Rehabilitation social workers support patients in addressing the social and emotional challenges related to their rehabilitation process.
They facilitate group discussions or educational sessions on topics relevant to rehabilitation and recovery and connect patients with community resources to aid their rehabilitation journey.
Oncology Social Worker
Oncology social workers provide supportive counseling to assist patients and families in coping with the emotional stress of a cancer diagnosis.
They help in coordinating care and services, including arranging transportation to treatment sessions and accessing financial assistance programs.
Additionally, they educate patients and families about the various resources and support services available to them.
Emergency Room Social Worker
Emergency room social workers offer crisis intervention and support to patients and families in emergency situations.
They conduct psychosocial assessments to understand the immediate needs of patients and make referrals to appropriate community resources.
Furthermore, they coordinate with medical staff to address the social and practical needs of patients in urgent care scenarios.
Geriatric Social Worker
Geriatric social workers support elderly patients in managing the social and psychological challenges associated with aging.
They assist in planning for long-term care needs, such as housing and in-home support services, and provide resources and support for families navigating the complexities of elder care.
BSW Salary By State
The table below provides a breakdown of the average annual BSW salary by state. To discover the five lowest- and highest-paying states for BSW social workers, continue reading after the table.
| State | Average Annual BSW Salary |
| Alabama | $60,199 |
| Alaska | $71,335 |
| Arizona | $63,802 |
| Arkansas | $59,675 |
| California | $72,252 |
| Colorado | $66,815 |
| Connecticut | $70,353 |
| D.C. | $72,907 |
| Delaware | $66,488 |
| Florida | $62,230 |
| Georgia | $63,344 |
| Hawaii | $68,453 |
| Idaho | $61,116 |
| Illinois | $67,012 |
| Indiana | $63,540 |
| Iowa | $62,689 |
| Kansas | $62,361 |
| Kentucky | $61,640 |
| Louisiana | $62,296 |
| Maine | $63,737 |
| Maryland | $67,536 |
| Massachusetts | $71,270 |
| Michigan | $64,654 |
| Minnesota | $67,012 |
| Mississippi | $58,431 |
| Missouri | $62,427 |
| Montana | $62,427 |
| Nebraska | $61,706 |
| Nevada | $65,767 |
| New Hampshire | $66,619 |
| New Jersey | $71,794 |
| New Mexico | $60,396 |
| New York | $69,829 |
| North Carolina | $64,850 |
| North Dakota | $64,850 |
| Ohio | $64,064 |
| Oklahoma | $60,592 |
| Oregon | $66,553 |
| Pennsylvania | $65,374 |
| Rhode Island | $68,388 |
| South Carolina | $61,837 |
| South Dakota | $58,889 |
| Tennessee | $60,658 |
| Texas | $64,130 |
| Utah | $62,296 |
| Vermont | $64,261 |
| Virginia | $65,702 |
| Washington | $70,615 |
| West Virginia | $58,955 |
| Wisconsin | $64,719 |
| Wyoming | $62,820 |
What State Pays BSW Social Workers The Most?
The state that pays BSW social workers the most is Washington, D.C, with an average annual salary of $72,907. Yearly salaries in D.C. typically fall between $58,431 and $88,947.
The top five states paying BSW social workers the most are:
Meanwhile, the five states paying BSW social workers the least are:
- Mississippi ($58,431)
- South Dakota ($58,889)
- West Virginia ($58,955)
- Arkansas ($59,675)
- Alabama ($60,199)
Of course, keep in mind that different locations also have varying costs of living. So, although a BSW makes significantly more in California than South Dakota, the cost of living is also much higher in California. Overall, this can have a big impact on your bottom line.
How Can You Increase Your BSW Salary?
If you want to increase your BSW salary potential, there are plenty of options to consider. From simply gaining more experience and living in the right location to furthering your education and gaining licensure, here are some of the best ways to earn more money as a BSW social worker.
1. Gain Experience
One of simplest ways to increase your BSW salary is to just keep working and gaining more experience.
For example, the average entry-level BSW salary for those with less than a year of experience is $63,270. Meanwhile, the average salary for those with one to two years of experience rises to $63,778.
Furthermore, those with three to four years of experience can expect to make about $66,068, while those with five to six years of experience earn $67,757 per year on average.
Finally, salary increases based on experience seem to max out once you’ve gained about seven to nine years of experience. Those with seven or more years of experience earn an average annual salary of $68,320.
This salary cap based on experience is likely due to the fact that many BSWs end up pursuing further education and licensure so they can take on more advanced roles.
2. Pick The Right Location
Your salary potential as a BSW is also dependent on where you work. As we discussed earlier, states like California and New Jersey have much higher average salaries compared to states like South Dakota and Arkansas.
Additionally, working in major metro areas and urban areas will increase your salary potential as well. For example, the average annual BSW salary in Philadelphia, PA is $69,174, while the average annual salary in Erie, PA is just $60,527.
Of course, you also need to consider how cost of living will affect your bottom line. While you may earn more money as a social worker in Philadelphia than Erie, you’ll also likely spend more money on rent, groceries, taxes, and more.
So, it’s important that you consider both income and expenses when figuring out how to maximize your take-home BSW salary.
3. Choose The Right Work Setting
We discussed earlier that BSWs working in a medical or hospital setting tend to earn the most money. Meanwhile, you’re not likely to earn as much money working for employers like nonprofits and community-based agencies.
However, you should also give careful consideration to the type of work you really want to do. If working for a nonprofit fits better with your interests and skill set, it may not be the best choice to focus solely on income potential.
On the other hand, if you feel like you can make a difference in patients’ lives in a medical setting, the increase in salary potential is certainly a nice bonus.
Remember, it’s key to choose a work setting and area of focus you’re passionate about. This can help you become more invested in your career, and possibly inspire you to further your education to pursue more advanced social work roles.
4. Earn Your MSW Degree
At some point, you’re likely to max out your salary potential if you hold only a Bachelor of Social Work. So, it may be a good idea to pursue graduate-level education so you can take on more advanced jobs.
If you already hold a BSW, you can typically earn your Master In Social Work degree by entering an Advanced Standing MSW program. Advanced Standing tracks are reserved for those who have their BSW, and usually take about a year of full-time study to complete.
Even those with non-social work undergraduate degrees can enter an MSW program, though it usually takes two years of full-time study.
After earning your MSW degree, you’ll be able to pursue advanced licensure, like Licensed Master of Social Work, which means you may be able to provide direct clinical interventions under the supervision of an LCSW.
This increase in responsibilities also comes with a nice bump in your earning potential, as the average annual MSW salary is $72,037.
5. Pursue Clinical Licensure
Finally, if you opt to earn your MSW degree and become an LMSW, you may also choose to pursue clinical licensure. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), you’ll be able to provide direct clinical interventions without supervision.
In addition to earning your MSW degree and obtaining LMSW licensure, you’ll need to complete at least several hundred hours of supervised LMSW work before you can sit for the ASWB Clinical Exam.
However, once you pass the test and earn clinical licensure, you’ll have an even higher salary potential. In fact, the average LCSW salary is $80,050 per year.
6. Explore Travel Social Work
One more great way to increase your earnings as a social worker is to explore travel social work. While most travel social work contracts require LCSW, there are also a decent amount of LMSW contracts, and even some listings for BSW social workers.
Essentially, organizations use travel social workers to fill critical gaps in their systems. Because your skills are so in-demand and you’re working short-term assignments, the pay is typically higher than for staff social workers.
In fact, the average travel social worker salary is $2,179 per week, which equates to $113,308 per year. Additionally, you have the opportunity to explore new places and work environments, providing you valuable life and professional experiences.
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Start Earning A Higher BSW Salary
If you’re not satisfied with your current BSW salary, hopefully the advice above can help you start earning the money you deserve.
Clearly, the best route to the highest possible salary is by advancing your education and gaining licensure. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right path for you to take.
Remember, as a BSW social worker, you have important skills and knowledge that can make a huge difference in people’s lives. So, don’t only think about salary, but also consider how you think you can best make an impact on the world.
The best career pathway for you will depend on your own personal goals, circumstances, and needs.
However, if you are interested in pursuing advanced education, whether for a higher salary or to take on more advanced social work roles, be sure to check out our rankings of the best MSW programs.
Additionally, you may want to consider an online MSW program, which typically provides more flexibility and affordability than traditional on-campus programs.
To find a BSW or MSW program suited to your goals and interests, fill out this form and we’ll help you get started!
