The Salary of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Job Description

Clinical social workers work with individuals with substance abuse problems or mental illness. Clinical social workers might provide group or individual therapy, social rehabilitation, crisis intervention or outreach programs. They might also provide support networks for families of clients, or support services for clients who re-enter the community. Clinical social workers work in a variety of settings, including outpatient and inpatient treatment centers. They may also work in employee-assistance programs, where they help people cope with job-related stress or personal problems.

Licensed clinical social workers must usually have a minimum of a bachelor's degree; depending upon where you live and who you work for, you will probably be required to get a master's degree in social work to work in a clinical setting. Although state requirements for licensure vary, most states require social workers to get two years or 3,000 hours of supervised job experience before becoming licensed. Research your state's licensure requirements before deciding on an educational program.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics study of May 2008, if you become a licensed clinical social worker in a child, family or school environment, you can expect to earn a median salary of $39,530. The amount you actually earn as a licensed clinical social worker depends largely upon who you work for. For example, social workers who work for local governments earn a median wage of $46,650, while their counterparts in state government earn significantly less: $39,600. One of the lowest paying fields is residential care, where you can expect to earn a median salary of $34,270.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social workers in the areas of medical and public health earn a median salary that is slightly higher than their peers in child, family and school environments, at $46,650. You can expect to earn a median wage of $51,470 if you work in general medical and surgical hospitals, $46,930 if you work for home health care services, and $38,370 if you work in individual and family services.