What Can I Do With an MSW Besides Social Work? Alternative Jobs to Pursue With a Social Work Degree
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A master of social work (MSW) degree can lead to other careers besides those in social work. This page explores alternative career paths where your skills can shine.
Your MSW can open doors to various roles, including those in corporate settings and community leadership. Find out how you can use your social work degree to make an impact outside of the field.
Popular Online BSW Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Alternative Careers for Social Workers
The following is a list of alternative career opportunities for graduates with a master’s in social work.
1. College Admissions Counselor
College admissions counselors work for both public institutions and private businesses, helping prospective college students excel during the college admissions process. Andrew Spiers, the director of training and technical assistance for Pathways to Housing PA’s Housing First University, considers this role an excellent fit for social workers who “like working with others, but need ‘lower stakes’.”
Professionals working as school and career counselors at the high school level take on similar responsibilities.
- Median Annual Salary:$61,710
- Projected Employment Growth: +4% (2023-2033)
2. Social and Community Service Manager
Many social workers thrive in nonprofit institutions and advocacy organizations. According to Tamara Leroy-London, “A social work lens provides a foundation to understand human behavior, analyze societal systems, and be objective across situations.”
Social workers can often find roles as social and community service managers. These professionals work directly with members and other stakeholders in their communities, improve local programs and services, and help create and manage outreach programs for the area.
- Median Annual Salary:$77,030
- Projected Employment Growth: +8% (2023-2033)
3. Human Resource Specialist
An MSW can provide an excellent foundation for graduates interested in becoming a human resource specialist. These professionals oversee hiring, staff interactions, and benefits, helping to ensure a positive and productive work environment. You’ll use your skills in empathy, communication, and conflict resolution to understand and address employees’ needs effectively. To become a human resource specialist, you can pursue additional training or certifications to enhance your qualifications and career prospects.
- Median Annual Salary:$67,650
- Projected Employment Growth: +8% (2023-2033)
4. Diversity and Inclusion Specialist
Many social workers gain experience working with underrepresented populations. As diversity and inclusion specialists, social workers can help companies acquire employees from diverse backgrounds, including gender, race, socio-economic status, religion, age, and national origin. These professionals also work with executives, managers, and other decision-makers to ensure that businesses meet the needs of their diverse workforce.
- Median Annual Salary:$64,340
- Projected Employment Growth: +12% (2023-2033)
5. Business Owner/Entrepreneur
As a business owner or entrepreneur, you’ll lead your own company and handle planning, operations, marketing, and customer relations. Your empathy, communication, and problem-solving skills can shape a business that benefits the community. Spiers notes that social work professionals are, “great communicators, empathic, able to view individuals as part of a greater environment/context, and good at identifying and connecting with outside resources to problem-solve.”
- Average Annual Salary:$67,300 (Oct. 2024)
- Projected Employment Growth: N/A
6. High School Teacher
As a high school teacher, you’ll teach and mentor students in a specific subject area. Your goal is to prepare them for future academic and career success. This career is a great fit for individuals with a social work degree. It lets you use your skills in communication and conflict resolution to support your students’ academic and personal success. Your ability to understand and address diverse student needs can create a positive and inclusive classroom environment. Additional education requirements typically include a teaching certification, which can be obtained through additional coursework and training.
- Median Annual Salary:$65,220
- Projected Employment Growth: -1% (2023-2033)
7. Registered Nurse
Registered nurses provide patient care, administer medications, and work with healthcare teams to aid in patient recovery. MSW graduates can use skills in compassion, relationships, and critical thinking to offer patient support. Your background in social work also prepares you to address your patients’ emotional and social needs. To become a registered nurse, you must earn an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing and pass the NCLEX-RN exam to receive licensure.
- Median Annual Salary:$86,070
- Projected Employment Growth: +6% (2023-2033)
8. Policy Analyst
As a policy analyst, you will research, test, and create policies that tackle social issues and boost public welfare. Social work graduates can utilize their knowledge of social systems and advocacy skills to shape effective and equitable policies. A social work background gives you a deep understanding of community needs and the impact of policies on vulnerable groups. Additional education in public policy or administration may make you more effective in this role, though it may not be required.
9. Grant Writer
You’ll use your advocacy, research, and writing skills to support meaningful causes as a grant writer. Your knowledge of social issues and community needs helps you to create compelling proposals and offers a valuable perspective. However, fundraising or nonprofit management experience can enhance your qualifications in this field. In this role, you can make a big impact by securing funding for organizations and programs to address societal challenges.
- Median Annual Salary:$80,050
- Projected Employment Growth: +4% (2023-2033)
Exploring Alternative Careers for Social Workers
There are many alternative careers for social workers seeking jobs without clinical or direct-practice components. The skills social workers develop in training and on the job are highly transferable, presenting candidates with many career opportunities.
Social workers usually develop excellent self-motivation, leadership, communication, research, and planning skills. Additionally, social workers are problem-solvers, strategizers, and goal-oriented workers who can thrive in many roles. Professionals with degrees and experience in social work may move on to careers in education, consulting, human resources, and community service management.
Depending on their prospective role, social workers may need to pursue additional education to make a career change. While positions in research and college-level teaching often require a doctoral degree, a master’s degree in social work may suffice. Candidates interested in research or teaching jobs at major universities typically need a Ph.D. in a relevant field.
Alternatively, social workers may need to acquire additional certifications to pursue work in some fields. Professionals seeking a career in consulting might consider earning a certification in IT consulting, management consulting, risk management consulting, or a certification relevant to their area of interest.
Social Work and Compassion Fatigue
Due to the nature of their work, social workers can become emotionally and physically exhausted. Sometimes referred to as compassion fatigue, professionals experience burnout when they have worked in stressful work environments, vulnerable groups, or with clients dealing with trauma. Social workers may also experience a shift in their worldview that affects their daily lives, which some experts refer to as “vicarious trauma.”
Burnout is often centered around the work environment or setting and may differ between social work positions. A lack of emotional support in the workplace, poor health benefits, and low compensation can all contribute to social worker burnout.
To avoid burnout, our social worker contributors suggest that young professionals try to work with populations they enjoy most. Tamara Leroy-London, a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) in Massachusetts, states that even if professionals serve clients with, “complex needs, including populations with trauma [or] those in need of crisis interventions,” social workers are more likely to enjoy their work and be less prone to burnout if their client base fits their professional interests.
Leroy-London also encourages social workers to develop an assertive character and set boundaries. “Assertiveness is so important because when you can identify what you need, and then advocate for that need, there is a sense of peace that comes with that, which may otherwise turn into emotional turmoil and anxiety,” she says.
Additionally, boundaries help social work professionals maintain a balance between work and home life. For Leroy-London, boundaries “help us to incorporate all of our life needs, and not just focus on work-related matters, which may lead to resentment.”
Some social workers, however, mitigate compassion fatigue by making a career change.
Frequently Asked Questions About Alternative Careers for Social Workers
What can I do with an MSW besides social work?
With an MSW, you can explore careers in human resources, policy analysis, grant writing, education, and healthcare administration. You can use your skills in empathy, communication, and problem-solving to make an impact in various fields.
What are the most transferable skills for social workers?
Empathy, listening, problem-solving, thinking, and advocacy are key skills for social workers. These skills are valuable in many careers and help them support, guide, and communicate well with diverse groups.
What alternative careers are social worker graduates eligible for?
Social worker graduates can work in various fields, including human resources, policy analysis, grant writing, teaching, and healthcare management. Their training in human behavior, community needs, and social systems is crucial for success.
What are good career options for social workers who want to earn a higher salary?
Social workers seeking higher salaries can pursue jobs in healthcare administration, human resources, policy analysis, and corporate training. These roles often offer higher pay and leverage advanced skills in communication gained through an MSW.
Meet Our Contributors
Andrew Spiers
Andrew Spiers is the Director of Training and Technical Assistance for Pathways to Housing PA’s (PTHPA) Housing First University. Spiers joined PTHPA in early 2018 and served as an assistant team leader and team leader before launching Housing First University in October 2019. Spiers holds a master of social service from Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, where he concentrated in community practice, policy, and advocacy. He has taught human services and sociology courses as an adjunct professor at Harcum College and has conducted trainings and workshops all over the country on topics like Housing First, harm reduction, and LGBTQ+ health and wellness.
Stacey Aldridge
Stacey Aldridge is an LCSW in private practice. She holds an MSW from Jackson State University and a BA in social services from Belhaven University. Stacey has worked in the mental health field since 2011, first as the State Director of Consumer Programs for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Mississippi and later as a therapist. In the past, she has worked with clients in both in-patient and out-patient hospital settings. Stacey is passionate about inspiring her clients to build the life they want to lead. She founded the website Inspired Practice, a blog by and for mental health professionals.
Tamara Leroy-London
Tamara Leroy-London is an LICSW in Massachusetts. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Regis College and her master’s degree in social work from Simmons University. Leroy-London enjoys working with adolescents and adults and specializes in matters related to depression and anxiety. She is passionate about supporting underserved urban communities. Born and raised in a Haitian household, she is fluent in Haitian Creole. She works full time in a community health center and runs a small private practice. Tamara is also branching out to provide consultations, presentations, workshops, and to author books and articles.
