8 MSW Jobs to Consider After Graduation

Key takeaways

After earning your MSW, you can pursue various job opportunities in both the public and private sectors.

• Social worker roles are expected to grow by 6 percent between 2024 and 2034, while substance abuse and mental health counselor roles are expected to grow by 17 percent. [1,2]

• Many MSW graduates choose to become clinical social workers, helping people with behavioral or mental disorders while working in clinics or hospitals or for government agencies.

• You can pursue a career as a medical social worker, supporting patients coping with serious illness and serving as a liaison between medical professionals and patients or family members.

Discover some of the common jobs you can explore once you earn your MSW, an advanced degree in social work.

What is an MSW degree?

The MSW degree is a graduate degree that prepares you for state licensure to do social work. Traditional MSW degree programs take around two years to complete. These tend to be for students who earned their bachelor's degree in another area.

You may qualify for accelerated programs if you have a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW). In that case, you can get your master's degree in around one year of full-time study.

Read more: What Is a Bachelor’s Degree? Types, Cost, and Application Requirements

What is the job outlook for an MSW?

Social work professionals are in demand. Social worker roles are expected to grow by 6 percent between 2024 and 2034, while substance abuse and mental health counselor roles are expected to grow by 17 percent, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) [1,2].

What jobs can you get with an MSW? 8 MSW jobs you can pursue

When you’ve completed your MSW degree, you’ll likely find many job openings in the private and public sectors. These include:

1. Clinical social worker

Many MSW graduates become clinical social workers, meaning they have a clinical practice or work as part of one that serves some portion of the population, such as children, teenagers, adults, couples, and more.

Consider a clinical social worker position if your career goal is to help people with mental illness or behavioral disorders. In this job, you’ll have an opportunity to work in various settings like government agencies, mental health clinics, or hospitals.

2. Child protective services worker

As a child protective services worker, you'll be an advocate for at-risk children. Because you may encounter child neglect, abuse, or malnutrition, this type of work can be stressful. However, the ability to help make home environments healthier or remove children from harmful situations can also make this job very rewarding.

3. Art therapist

While talk therapy is a popular form of working with others, art therapists instead use art to help clients express themselves and work through difficult, often traumatic, experiences that can exist beyond language and be difficult to communicate.

Similar to social workers, art therapists work with individuals or groups. They might be self-employed, run their own practice, or work as part of an organization or agency.

4. Medical social worker

Like social workers in hospice and palliative care, medical social workers support patients coping with serious illness and their families. As a medical social worker, you’ll often be the liaison between medical professionals and patients or family members, ensuring patients and families can access the services they need.

5. Public policy advisor

Many local, state, and national governments build policies that are meant to help residents and citizens. Policy advisors are specialists who understand the particular challenges different populations face and can conduct research to advise on new and existing policies to improve people's lives.

6. School social worker

School social workers help students, teachers, and parents or guardians address concerns like behavior issues, psychological problems, and truancy. As a school social worker, you may work in a specific school or for a school district composed of multiple schools.

7. Community center director

Community center directors can draw on their background in social work, along with a firm understanding of business administration, to run community centers that serve a local population. The role can include brainstorming new initiatives, training team members, overseeing budgets, and more.

8. Criminal justice social worker

Much like more specific social workers handle a certain issue or population, criminal justice social workers use their training to work in the legal system. They may handle highly sensitive cases involving domestic assault or child neglect, providing research and, in some cases, direct testimony.

Which field is best in MSW?

While the best field depends, in part, on your career interests and goals, some popular fields for MSW graduates include social work administration and health care social work. In social work administration, you can hold leadership positions, such as program director or agency supervisor. In the health care setting, social workers are in high demand, allowing you to increase your career possibilities and your salary over time.

Prepare for an MSW job with free resources

Visit our Career Resource Hub, where you can assess your skills and explore career paths. Then, consider these free resources as you evaluate your professional path in social work:

• Read our Career Chat issue: What Should You Earn: A Certificate or a Degree? 

• Watch on YouTube: Can You Go to Grad School for a Different Major? 

• Take a quiz: Career Test: What Career Is Right for Me Quiz?

Explore flexible online degree programs available from Coursera’s esteemed college and university partners.

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