Does getting an MSW mean a career of low paying work?

[Artsygal]

I already work in the mental health field in a non-clinical capacity and I am very interested in getting a master's in a mental health related field. An MSW seems like it would be incredibly versatile. However, the median salaries listed online are very low. Are low paying jobs really the norm for this field, or am I just not getting a good snapshot of the field from researching online?

[Sjbionia]

Yes it does mean low paying work. You can make more if you enter into private practice or group practice and get onto insurance panels but you usually cannot do this for several years after you are licensed  and you aren't licensed which until a couple years after you graduate with your MSW. Plan on making about 45-50k a year...As low as 35k can happen too. Also, if you are an independent contractor and work a lot of hours you can make more...Here in Oklahoma once licensed my agency pays $47.75/hr  to independent contractors. So some of my  coworkers who work a ton of hours make 60-70k a year but most who work normal hours make 45-50k a year. 

[academicbirb]

There's a website called glassdoor that will give you pay estimates from people working for specific companies in your area, so try plugging in your state & dream company with your degree and see what you come up with. Getting the LICSW will definitely help to raise your pay grade, as will getting certificates of training in specialized fields (i.e. youth and families, LGBTQ folks, etc). 

[KruMaew]

The longer you work, and the type of path you take, will have a lot to do with it. My dad (63 years old) is a clinical social worker (private practice) and now makes around $200,000 a year, but he has worked his ass off to get to that point. Lots of special training, certifications, etc. Just an example of an exception to the rule. 

[BackNSchool83]

Well as an LCSW in California, you can have a private practice, and the going rate for a therapy session with a masters level clinician who is licensed is about $100- $125 an hour in this area, and indeed this is a pretty well to do area. If you add it up, 25 clients a week is about $2500 dollars so $10,000 a month and $120,000 a year before taxes and business costs. That's optimal though, and there are many unforseen costs, and the fact that insurance wont always cover the full price of a session or limit them. It's still pretty good money though if you are good at what you do and can handle the workload. I think with an MSW working for a county agency or something you would make around $50k here in California, working for a drug and alcohol treatment center probably about 45-50k. It all depends on where you work, and while in some places you earn far less, the cost of living in those areas is far less too. Someone correct me if I am wrong, this is just what I have gathered over time.

[Chumado]

There are gems out there you can certainly find if you search deep enough. Some govt MSW positions start you at $65k. I'm assuming right out of college your prospects aren't looking good but I really don't see an issue with making decent money with a couple of years under your belt. 

[Supersocialworker]

I believe this depends on where you live and if you are working for a governmental entity, non-profit, etc. I have my BSW and am licensed in my state as a social worker and just applied for the MSW advanced standing program for Fall 2017. When I just graduated I took a job with Division of Child and Family Services and made a net monthly income of about $2,200, which is a joke in my state/city. I took the same job but for my county and increased my monthly pay by almost double. Right now I make about $62,000/year with a bachelor's degree in social work as an investigative worker with CPS.