California’s social service network is certainly impressive. Each of the state’s 58 counties have their own government social work agencies. Each agency is made up of departments focused on everything from child welfare to immigration assistance. Countless independent agencies help these government bureaus fill in the gaps. No matter your passion, there’s likely an organization in California that needs your talents and drive for social justice.
While that might be encouraging, it can also be intimidating. If California already has over 85,000 social workers, do they really need more?
Fortunately, California’s need for social workers is expected to increase dramatically. O*NET, a career readiness website sponsored by the US Department of Labor, predicts that every year through 2030, there will be almost 5,000 job openings for child, family, and school social workers alone. Projections for other types of social service professionals are equally optimistic.
But what will your career look like? How do you transition from entry-level work to more advanced Masters of Social Work jobs? And what kind of salary might you make at each phase of your career?
The First Steps of Your Career: Bachelor of Social Work Jobs
To get an entry-level social work job in California, you’ll likely need a bachelor’s degree in social work (BSW) or another closely related field. But being an entry-level worker doesn’t mean you’ll be doing tedious grunt work. These types of roles are often designed to give you the experience you need to take on Masters of Social Work jobs later in your career.
As an entry-level social worker, you’ll help your more experienced colleagues with:
- Case management, connecting clients to resources, and helping them sign up for benefit programs.
- Developing treatment plans.
- Monitoring client progress.
- Running support groups.
- Organizing community events like food drives and health screenings.
- Checking in with clients and their families. You may even assist with or provide counseling.
- Daily tasks like recording assessment data and filing paperwork with other agencies.
These broad duties vary between industries and specialties. For example, if you’re a new healthcare social worker, you might help clients understand their insurance and financial aid options for different procedures. But if you’re in gerontology social work, you might help your supervisors develop fun, engaging social events everyone in your community can enjoy.
Some roles associated with entry-level social work include:
- Assistant social worker.
- Social worker I (as opposed to more advanced social worker II or III positions. Government agencies in California often use this classification in their job postings).
- Human services assistant.
- Social services assistant.
- Case manager.
- Case assistant or case aide.
These aren’t the only positions available to early-career social workers. Depending on the industry you’re entering, you may also want to consider roles like patient services specialist or community outreach specialist.
Taking the Next Step: Masters of Social Work Jobs
Whether you plan on earning a BSW and working for a while or want to head straight into an MSW program after earning your bachelor’s, having an MSW can open your career options up to a number of impactful frontline and administrative positions.
Why Should I Get an MSW in California?
While California social worker licensing laws don’t require social workers to have a Masters of Social Work (MSW) to take on most advanced positions, many employers do. This is because Master’s program graduates have studied advanced social work techniques, practiced them over the course of hundreds of supervised fieldwork hours, and have likely specialized in a specific area of social work. They’re ready to not just meet any of their clients’ needs, but help other social workers do the same.
Frontline Masters of Social Work Jobs
In many fields, the only way to advance your career is by going into administration or management. However, not everyone’s talents are suited for administration nor does everyone feel fulfilled in such roles. But in social work, there’s plenty of room for advancement for people who want to stay on the frontlines of California’s fight for social equity.
Some frontline Masters of Social Work jobs you may want to explore include:
- Master Social Worker and Social Worker II and III. These roles share many of the same duties as entry-level jobs, but advanced social workers typically take on more difficult cases. The complex and sometimes life-threatening situations often require experience with crisis intervention, trauma-informed care, and counseling.
- Community Social Worker and Community Organizer. In community-based roles, social workers are often in charge of assessing individuals and entire communities. This can include neighborhoods, residential treatment facilities, homeless shelters, and assisted living communities. Duties like case management and program development may fall into the administrative category, but community social workers are often very involved in providing direct services.
- Forensic Social Worker. Forensic social workers are involved in court cases so they must have a firm grasp on local resources, crisis intervention, and how to balance legal and ethical concerns. Many forensic social workers also work in correctional facilities or become victim advocates. In some cases, courts appoint social workers as advocates for victims and children and ask them for recommendations about legal proceedings.
- Healthcare Social Worker. New social workers can certainly take on roles in healthcare, but it typically requires Master’s-level knowledge to serve clients with severe chronic illnesses and be an advocate for those with acute cognitive disabilities. And families battling grief, financial instability, and mental health problems all at once need a very complex level of care.
- Immigration Social Worker. Immigrants often need legal help, career guidance, housing assistance, and counseling to help them overcome trauma and adjust to their new home. While entry-level workers can help, it takes an experienced social worker to bring all of these services together for multiple people.
These are only a few examples, but frontline Masters of Social Work jobs can be found in every specialty and in every kind of social service organization.
Policymaking, Administrative, and Other Support-oriented Masters of Social Work Jobs
Talented administrators and support personnel are vital to getting people the help they need. They strategically plan services, manage budgets, and advocate for laws and policies that ensure no one falls through the cracks. Without them, California’s massive social service network would come to a grinding halt.
Some of the most important social service management jobs include:
- Program Managers. Most social service organizations have departments with specific purposes. Program managers oversee the day-to-day operations of these programs like personnel management and training.
- Grant Managers. Social service agencies, particularly non-profit and research organizations, are often funded by government grants and donations from individuals and larger organizations. Grant managers seek funding sources, ensure their organizations stay compliant with all financial regulations, and often help other administrators plan budgets.
- Community Outreach Managers. In some communities, people may be unaware about services they’re entitled to or how to get involved with issues that affect them directly. Outreach administrators oversee public education initiatives, establish community-based programs, and find ways to connect with communities and other organizations.
- Care Coordination Managers. Often found in medical facilities, care coordination managers work with doctors, hospital administrators, and other medical personnel to ensure patients receive a full continuum of care including financial aid, mental health counseling, and aftercare. They’re also responsible for crafting policies that erase healthcare discrimination and foster inclusive communities.
- Residential Program Managers. In-patient mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, assisted living communities, and group homes must offer a lot of services to meet their communities’ needs. Social service managers in these settings are in charge of hiring staff and crafting policies that serve everyone.
- Directors of Social Services. These professionals are responsible for reviewing current programs, creating new ones, and dispersing resources efficiently. They can also create partnerships between multiple agencies that reduce interruptions to service.
Professionals who enter these administrative Masters of Social Work jobs are often former direct service professionals who worked in and earned an MSW in a specific field like gerontology, child welfare, or healthcare social work. Others earn their MSWs in broader areas like social service management, community development and social systems, macro social work, or social policy. When it’s time for your own job hunt, remember that these titles vary between different types of agencies.
Another Vital MSW Career Option: Clinical Masters of Social Work Jobs
Clinical social workers have some of the most versatile abilities in the entire field. After undergoing rigorous education and training, they have the power to diagnose mental health disorders and provide evidence-based treatment for them. In fact, according to the California Board of Behavioral Science, they’re the only type of social worker in California that need a state-issued license to practice. Becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) can enable you to take on a number of Masters of Social Work jobs other professionals can’t.
After becoming an LCSW, you can become a:
- Therapist or Counselor. LCSWs can administer psychotherapeutic interventions in just about any setting. They can guide children and family through behavioral issues, counsel seniors facing grim late-life mental health issues, and help veterans battling PTSD. Other social workers can aid in these processes, but LCSWs are often called upon to handle high-risk mental health crises. These roles go by many names: behavioral health therapist, mental health therapist, substance abuse therapist, or simply LCSW.
- Clinical Program Director. Because of their advanced mental health knowledge, LCSWs are often in charge of entire mental health programs. Clinical directors oversee mental healthcare teams, offer their expertise to other professionals, and ensure their organizations are properly staffed.
- Intake Coordinator. These professionals are responsible for assessing patients entering medical and mental health treatment facilities. They map out treatment plans, bring together interdisciplinary teams, and ensure everyone involved stays informed about what each person needs.
- Researcher, Clinical Consultant, or Program Evaluator. While all MSW graduates have research experience, LCSWs are often experts in experimental design and literature review. These skills are vital to creating new, scientifically-sound mental health programs and integrating new techniques into existing services. Nonprofits and independent research organizations sometimes employ LCSWs to conduct field research to inform advocacy initiatives.
While LCSWs can hold these positions in just about any organization, they can also do something even more unique: operate their own social service practices. LCSWs who follow this route often open community clinics and consulting services that work with individuals, businesses, and other social service organizations.
Social Worker Salaries in California
California isn’t just a national leader in social worker employment. It’s also one of the highest-paying states for social service professionals.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) May 2022 employment survey, the national average salary for all community and social service occupations is $55,760. In California, it’s $65,450, second only to the District of Columbia. Washington is the only state in the region that comes close with an average salary of $61,000. California beats Nevada and Oregon by about $8,000 each.
However, averages don’t always paint an accurate picture of a person’s salary potential. In the following sections, you’ll find tables and insights that break these numbers down by city, specialty, and experience.
Average Social Service Salaries in California by Metropolitan Area
Nine of the BLS’s top 10 highest-paying cities for community and social service occupations are in California. In some cities, average wages for these professionals exceed the state average by $15,000 or more.
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Area | Annual Average Salary for Community and Social Service Occupations |
United States | $55,760 |
California | $65,450 |
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $80,180 |
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $71,910 |
Napa, CA | $70,600 |
Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $70,300 |
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $69,540 |
Stockton-Lodi, CA | $67,190 |
Madera, CA | $66,860 |
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA | $66,610 |
Salinas, CA | $66,040 |
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Table data taken from 2022 BLS reports for community and social service occupations.
Social Worker Salaries in California By Specialty
The BLS’s community and social service category is made up of several smaller categories. Including four types of social workers:
- Child, family, and school social workers
- Substance abuse and mental health social workers
- Healthcare social workers
- Social workers, all other
In terms of average salary, California leads the nation for healthcare social workers ($88,380) and comes in second for mental health and substance abuse social workers ($81,720). While the state doesn’t make the top five for child, family, and school social workers ($66,340) or all other social workers ($69,530), it beats the national average for both categories by about $10,000 and $5,000 respectively.
Social Worker Salaries in California By Experience and Education
Within each of these four categories are social workers at every stage of their careers. Unfortunately, the BLS doesn’t report salary data by level of degree or experience, but they do report what the highest- and lowest-earning professionals in each specialty make. General trends indicate that LCSWs and people in Masters of Social work jobs can make more than their entry-level colleagues by a considerable amount.
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Social Work Specialty | 10% (Lowest Earning) | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% (Highest Earning) |
Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $39,700 | $47,950 | $62,610 | $79,530 | $103,180 |
Healthcare Social Workers | $50,870 | $63,760 | $80,790 | $105,050 | $133,100 |
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $44,680 | $54,760 | $79,530 | $104,000 | $126,120 |
Social Workers (All Other) | $42,750 | $49,120 | $62,200 | $86,010 | $106,760 |
Table data taken from 2022 BLS reports for California.
Salaries For Other Social Service Professionals in California
Throughout your career, you might not always work under the title of social worker. Many of the roles you may take on have different salary expectations than social workers. This is especially true for support and administrative roles that don’t involve providing services directly.
While not comprehensive, the following table provides salary ranges for many of these roles in California. The lower-paying roles tend to be entry-level or mid-career roles while the higher-paying ones are often Masters of Social Work jobs. However, some specialties (like marriage and family therapist and other direct service roles) are entire career paths in and of themselves.
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Job Title | 10% (Lowest Earning) | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% (Highest Earning) |
Social and Community Service Managers | $49,210 | $60,060 | $74,920 | $99,950 | $129,330 |
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | $47,420 | $58,330 | $72,240 | $101,220 | $130,020 |
Marriage and Family Therapists | $37,380 | $44,730 | $56,890 | $75,190 | $105,650 |
Rehabilitation Counselors | $31,060 | $33,540 | $37,760 | $48,650 | $70,920 |
Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors | $37,860 | $45,130 | $56,060 | $80,010 | $102,940 |
Counselors (All Other) | $35,610 | $36,670 | $38,930 | $45,770 | $56,900 |
Health Education Specialists | $42,370 | $46,830 | $65,160 | $100,040 | $120,180 |
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | $61,480 | $79,300 | $98,160 | $118,910 | $133,680 |
Social and Human Service Assistants | $34,470 | $38,090 | $45,850 | $56,550 | $64,680 |
Community Health Workers | $37,370 | $40,830 | $50,310 | $67,020 | $81,290 |
Community and Social Service Specialists (All Other) | $32,640 | $36,810 | $46,120 | $62,640 | $85,490 |
Table data taken from 2022 BLS reports for community and social service occupations.
2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for child, family, and school social workers, healthcare social workers, mental health and substance abuse social workers, social workers (all other), and other social and community service occupations are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed August 2023.