Social Worker Salary

March 22, 2007

Name: Darlene Albury
Job Title: Social Worker
Where: Flushing-Queens, New York
Employer: Self-Employed
Years of Experience: 16
Education: Audrey Cohen College-Bachelors Degree in Human Services, Hunter College School of Social Work-Master of Social Work Degree
Salary: $60K

Social Worker Salary

What is the salary of a social worker? It varies quite a bit these days, as do the roles and tasks of social workers, thanks to the Internet. Darlene Albury is a social worker who works via the web. She recently discussed her social worker career, different salaries of social workers, the requirements for becoming a social worker, and more. As you will hear in the following interview, Darlene truly cares about helping people – something that she says is necessary for a successful social worker career.

If you’ve been asking yourself, "What is the average social worker salary?" keep in mind that the salaries of social workers are not usually the top motivation for becoming a social worker. According to Darlene, the ability to be altruistic is a more imortant factor in whether or not you will enjoy being a social worker. She has the unique position of being able to use modern technology to reach a wide range of people in her social worker practice. For those interested in the future of social work careers, the salaries of social workers, or who want more info before entering the social service field, this interview is a must-read!

Social Worker Job Description:

I am currently self-employed. I do therapy via the Internet as an independent contractor, working in conjunction with AskTheInternetTherapist.com. As a social worker I have strong instincts to help people. I am a professional, trained to talk with people and their families about emotional or physical needs, and to find them support services. As a social worker, I know how illness can affect a person’s life. I can help with a particular crisis and/or day to day problems with family, school or work. Financial concerns, insurance, and government programs are all areas in which social workers are trained to help.

Do You Know What You're Worth?

For parents, a social worker can help ease the stress involved in raising children with special needs. I also confront issues that are stemmed from the dynamics of how the client relates with others. Forming a solid rapport and sense of trust, I am able to guide the client into a healthy and positive relationship. In order for the client to function in a nurturing and healthy relationship, they must first break down their walls in order to rebuild a stronger structure. I act as a guide to facilitate inner learning, in which many obstacles and blockages will be overcome. It is the role of the social worker to instill a sense of security.

How did you choose a social worker career?

After being a legal transcriber for nine and a half years, I felt it was time for me to make a change. I wanted to be more involved in people’s lives, to help people with their problems. In order for me to do this I had to make a decision to return to school and get a degree, which I did. I attended Audrey Cohen College for Human Services to obtain a Bachelor Degree. This was a condensed program that allowed you to use your life experiences as part of your studies.

Upon completion of the program, I graduated top of the class, which was a proud accomplishment for me. But I felt that I did not have enough education at this point to help people who were in need and decided to go for my Masters degree in social work. This was always what I wanted to do; I come from a long list of family who were in the “helping” field of work.

Do you recall any memorable moments from your social worker career?

I was working with a family where the mother was mentally ill and the child suffered abuse as a result of her mental illness. The child had to be removed from the home for her safety, and the mother was ordered into treatment in order to work towards getting the child returned to her care.

The mother was delusional and filed a complaint against the President, the Vice President, the Army, the agency I was working for and myself. She said that the child was abused by the persons that she was naming, and for a fact, it was not her who abused the child. It was really very sad, but she had everyone petitioned to go to court based on her allegations. The judge ruled that she was not competent and the petitions were dismissed against all parties mentioned in the petition.

If someone was interested in becoming a social worker, what would you tell them?

This is not a profession that you go into for the purpose of making money. This is a career that is based on your ability to help those who are unable to help themselves. You must be altruistic, caring and empathetic; definitely having true concern for another human being that is less fortunate than yourself. This is what it takes to become a social worker, it is not easy work, but can be quite rewarding in terms of the outcome.

What can you tell us about the salaries of social workers?

The average salary for a non-licensed social worker is $35K, for a licensed social worker, the average salary is between $45K – $55K, depending on experience.

How does your salary compare to a social worker salary? Find out with PayScale’s salary survey.