Travel Social Work: Everything You Need To Know For 2024

Travel social work is a great way for social workers to earn more money and explore new places. Discover how to get started here.

Share This Post

Looking to earn a higher salary as a social worker or explore new places? Then travel social work may be a great fit for you!

In order to fill critical staffing shortages, many facilities are turning to these employees to complete short-term assignments. Better yet, because the demand to fill these positions is so high, you’ll also be able to make a lot more money.

Additionally, since most contracts last about 13 weeks, you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with the city you work in. There are contracts available all across the country, and you have the freedom to choose wherever you want to go.

So, let’s explore what exactly travel social work is, why it’s a great option for social workers, and how to get started.

What Is Travel Social Work?
5 Benefits Of Travel Social Work
Travel Social Worker Salary
Travel Social Work Jobs
How To Become a Travel Social Worker
Best Travel Social Work Companies
Is Travel Social Work Worth It?
Get Started With Travel Social Work Today
Travel Social Work FAQs

Explore Travel Social Work Opportunities

Fill out this form, and we'll help you find your first travel social work placement in no time

Get Started

Travel Social Work involves social workers fulfilling short-term contracts in areas where their services are in high demand. Rather than work in one facility long-term, they move to different locations across the country.

Facilities often hire travel social workers in response to specific needs, such as:

Staffing shortages
Natural disasters
Public health crises

Travel social work opportunities are available for all types of social workers, whether you’re a BSW, MSW, or LCSW. You’ll also find jobs in a variety of settings, including schools, healthcare facilities, or even emergency response environments.

There are two key advantages of this career path. First, you get to travel to and explore new places. Second, because you’re filling high-demand roles, you can typically earn more money as a travel social worker.

Best of all, you get to provide your services and help people where they need it most, while reaping the financial and lifestyle benefits of your valuable knowledge and skill set.

Travel social work comes with a number of advantages that traditional full-time social work doesn’t.

Below, we discuss some of the unique advantages of these contract positions, from higher salaries to greater flexibility.

1. Higher Salary

One of the best things about travel work is that you’ll earn a higher salary compared to a traditional full-time job. This is because you’re filling positions with high-demand, making your skills more valuable.

We’ll get into the specific numbers later, but on average travel social workers make over 50% more than the average salary of traditional LCSWs.

So, if you want to prioritize making as much money as possible, you should definitely consider this career path.

2. Explore New Places

Another great aspect of travel social work is that you get to travel to and explore new places. You can find positions in just about every state, from Hawaii and California to New York and Texas.

Whether you want to spend some time in a big city or take on a more rural assignment, there are lots of options to choose from.

Once you’ve got a lot of experience, you could even consider international social work opportunities, though this process is more complicated and competitive.

Better yet, most travel social work agencies provide housing or a housing stipend, which makes finding accommodation less of a burden.

3. Professional Development & Personal Growth

By traveling to different locations and gaining experience in a variety of settings and cases, you’ll be able to expand on your current skills and knowledge.

This exposure can also help you figure out which area of the field you’re most passionate about. From there, you may look to start specializing in that particular area or commit to it full-time.

Traveling to new places can also help your personal growth as you interact with new communities and cultures.

4. Flexibility

Travel social work also gives you the ability to be flexible about when and where you work.

Since contracts often last only 13 weeks, you don’t have to worry about being stuck in one place for too long. Additionally, you have the option to take breaks in between contracts if you want to.

You can also choose where you work. For example, if you hate the cold winters in the northeast, consider a travel social work placement in California.

5. Impact On Diverse Communities

Finally, travel social workers can impact diverse communities by bringing essential skills to areas where they’re needed most.

By introducing fresh perspectives and practices, you can not only address urgent issues, but also help foster long-term community resilience.

This exchange of knowledge and cultural insights between you and the community you serve can lead to improvements in social services in the overall community.

The average travel social worker salary is $2,179 per week, which translates to about $113,00 per year.

Meanwhile, BLS reports that the average salary for traditional social workers is just $55,350 per year.

Fortunately, the numbers are a little better for those with advanced degrees and licensure. Salary.com reports that the average permanent-staff MSW salary is $71,149, and they report the average salary for staff LCSWs is $79,000.

Still, the average salary for travel social workers is significantly greater than it is for traditional employees.

There are travel social work jobs available for all kinds of social workers, including BSW, MSW, and LCSW. We discuss these different types of roles below.

Finally, we’ll touch on international social work jobs, which can be an exciting opportunity for highly-experienced social workers.

Travel BSW Jobs

While the majority of travel social work jobs prefer candidates to have their Master of Social Work, there are still opportunities for Licensed Bachelor Social Workers.

You can find travel BSW jobs in areas like care coordination and case management. Just keep in mind that you won’t have as many locations to choose from.

Additionally, while you should earn a higher pay compared to full-time LBSWs, you won’t earn nearly as much as those with more advanced education.

Travel MSW Jobs

If you want to make more money and have more flexibility, then you should earn your Master’s degree and check out travel MSW jobs.

Most travel social work opportunities require at least an MSW. So, if you want access to more locations, more specialized work, and higher pay, we recommend you go for your MSW as soon as possible.

By advancing your education and skills, you’ll be eligible for travel MSW jobs as diverse as medical social work and school social work.

Travel LCSW Jobs

The best way to maximize your earning potential and job opportunities is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. While becoming a LCSW requires an MSW in addition to thousands of hours of clinical supervision, it’s typically a worthwhile investment.

Travel LCSW jobs are the highest-paying social work opportunities, and you’ll have access to a large pool of job openings.

So, while it may take some time to become an LCSW, the sooner you can earn your credentials, the sooner you can apply to the jobs you want most.

Explore Travel Social Work Opportunities

Fill out this form, and we'll help you find your first travel social work placement in no time

Get Started

One more type of travel social work job is international social work jobs. These positions are typically filled by NGOs or global social welfare organizations.

International Social Work typically requires the most experience of any of the other types. Not only do you usually need an advanced degree and years of experience, but you’ll also need excellent cultural competence. You may even need language skills depending on the location.

Ultimately, becoming an international social worker may be a long and tough challenge, but it’s also an amazing way to make an impact on the world and address issues like:

Poverty
Human rights
Disaster relief
Community development

There are a few different routes you can take to become a travel social worker. The one you choose depends on your own personal goals.

Since becoming a travel LCSW opens you up to the most employment opportunities and highest salaries, we’ll cover this pathway below. Plus, you’ll earn your BSW and MSW credentials along the way.

So, here’s a step-by-step guide to becoming a travel social worker.

The first step toward becoming any type of social worker is to earn your Bachelor of Social Work degree.

While there are Associate of Social Work degree programs, the BSW will prepare you for entry-level social work jobs, as well as future studies in a master’s program. If you hope to become a travel social worker, you’ll need at least your bachelor’s degree.

Your coursework will likely center around three main pillars:

Theoretical Knowledge: Social work theory, human behavior, social welfare policy, and ethics in social work
Practical Skills: Case management skills, intervention strategies, community engagement, and advocacy
Field Education: Hands-on experience in real-world social work settings under supervision

It typically takes about four years of full-time study to earn your BSW. However, you may also opt to take courses part-time, which could add to the time it takes to finish the program.

Once you earn your BSW, we recommend you go straight into a Master or Social Work (MSW) degree program. This is because the quicker you can earn more advanced credentials, the faster you can jump into travel social work.

While some people decide to gain some experience after graduating or become an LBSW, this isn’t typically a requirement to enter an MSW program. The field work you complete in your bachelor’s program should display your readiness to enroll.

Better yet, most BSW graduates have Advanced Standing because of their foundational education and training in their undergraduate program. This means you can typically complete the MSW program in just one-year of full-time study, unlike other students who may take two or more years.

In addition to an internship or field placement, you’ll also take advanced courses focused on specialized areas of social work, like:

Clinical practice
Community and social justice work
Policy practice
Child and family welfare
School social work
Healthcare social work

The specialty you choose can have a big impact on the trajectory of career and available travel social work opportunities. So, be sure to carefully consider which one may suit you best.

3. Pass The ASWB Master’s Exam and Gain Licensure

After completing your MSW program, you must take the ASWB master’s exam. Administered by the Association of Social Work Boards, this test ensures you have the necessary knowledge and skills to practice.

The multiple-choice test covers a broad range of topics, including:

Assessment and intervention planning
Human development and behavior
Ethics

Once you pass the Master’s ASWB, you can apply to become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). Each state has different guidelines for licensure, so be sure to check your state’s social worker board website.

Now that you’re officially an LMSW, you need to find a job and gain some experience. Once you have a year or two under your belt, you’ll likely qualify for some travel social work jobs.

However, to really open yourself up to a lot of travel social work opportunities, you’ll want to pursue becoming a LCSW.

To do so, you need to complete clinical hours under the supervision of an existing LCSW or similarly qualified mental health professional. The number of required hours varies by state though.

For example, Pennsylvania requires 3,000 clinical hours, while New York requires 2,000 clinical hours. Gaining these hours could take anywhere from one to three years.

5. Pass The ASWB Clinical Exam and Obtain LCSW Licensure

Before you can become an LCSW, you need to pass the ASWB Clinical Exam.

Like the master’s exam, the clinical exam is a multiple-choice test. It consists of 170 questions, of which 150 are scored and 20 are used to develop future exams. The exam primarily focuses on the areas of clinical:

Assessment
Diagnosis
Treatment planning
Intervention
Evaluation

You answer questions covering a wide array of topics, from human development and psychotherapy to case management and ethics.

After passing the exam, you can finally apply for your LCSW license. The specific application requirements vary by state, but generally involve passing the clinical ASWB, background checks, degree verification, and more.

6. Get Additional Certification (Optional)

While not mandatory, social workers can also choose to gain certification in their area of specialty. There are specialization opportunities for both BSWs and MSWs, but some common master’s social work specialties include:

There are no exams required to become certified, but you will need to complete continuing education credits and thousands of supervised clinical hours in your population focus. You’ll also need an MSW-level license and/or passing score on the master’s ASWB exam.

Overall, getting certified can make you a more desirable candidate when looking for jobs. When it comes to travel social work placements, this could make it easier to find contacts in your most desired locations.

At this point you have years of schooling and thousands of hours of clinical experience under your belt, giving you valuable knowledge and skills required to succeed as a travel social worker.

Because of your expertise, you’ll now be a strong candidate for a huge pool of travel social work jobs. So, the best way to find placements is to connect with a travel social work agency.

These companies work as an intermediary between facilities and social workers to fill in-demand positions across the country. Better yet, they often provide top-tier benefits, housing stipends, and higher pay than traditional roles.

You’ll work with the agency’s recruiters to let them know about your qualifications and specialties. Additionally, you can let them know about your desired locations, salary, contract length, and more.

Finally, the travel social work agency will match you up with a facility that’s in line with your qualifications and interests. From there, you can start your first travel job in no time.

Enjoy the journey!

Choosing the right travel social work company is critical to finding placements suited to your skill set and interests. You should consider various criteria when selecting one, like benefits, salary rates, support services, available locations, and more.

Fortunately, there are quite a few top travel social work agencies to choose from, including:

To find a travel nursing agency that fits your needs, you can fill out this form and we’ll help you get started.

Travel social work can certainly be worth it for some people, but it depends on your goals and interests.

For example, if you’re looking to make as much money as possible, it’s definitely the way to go. The same is true if you want to go out and explore new places, or just simply want to shake things up.

One travel social worker on Reddit wrote:

“I worked in level 1 trauma centers in my city for just about 3 years. I got really good at it. I have awards and great references. A friend of mine got into travel work, I had never known it was an option for social work so I asked her to connect me to her recruiter. Within three weeks I had my first assignment and quit my full time job. My experience in trauma centers has been hugely helpful, as well as my references and awards. I recommend getting the hospital experience and mastering hospital work. Then after 2-3 years, reaching out to recruiters and Med staffers is the way to go! They’ll send you contracts they can submit you for and you interview. It’s great!”
Muriel Finster

Explore Travel Social Work Opportunities

Fill out this form, and we'll help you find your first travel social work placement in no time

Get Started

Travel social work is an excellent career opportunity because of the higher salary, flexibility, and ability to explore new places.

If you’ve got your LMSW or LCSW licensure, it’s super easy to get started. Just fill out this form and we can connect you with a travel social work agency that aligns with your goals.

Meanwhile, if you don’t have your credentials yet and want to advance your career, you can find programs suited to your goals here. The sooner you earn your degree, the sooner you can start traveling!

You can travel as a social worker, but you’ll need to be an LMSW or LCSW in order to qualify for the best positions.

While LBSWs can also find travel social work opportunities, they are much more limited. This is why we usually recommend BSWs to go for their master’s degree right away.

There certainly are opportunities to travel internationally as a social worker, but the roles typically require quite a lot of experience and expertise.

International social work jobs typically fall into the following categories:

Humanitarian Organizations (agencies like the United Nations, World Health Organization, and others)
NGOs (agencies that focus on specific issues like poverty, child welfare, education, etc.)
Government agencies with international branches
Global health
Academia and research
Consulting and policy development

While these positions can be competitive, there are opportunities for social workers in just about every area of the field all across the world.

Kirby Sibiski

Kirby Sibiski is a writer and editor specializing in healthcare and allied health. Based in Southeastern Pennsylvania, he is the founder of Social Worker Source and an editor for BetterNurse.org.

Travel Social Work: Everything You Need To Know For 2024

Share This Post

Table of Contents