Occupation is in demand.
Social workers help people manage social, financial, and health problems.
| Quick Facts: Social Workers | |
|---|---|
| Wages | Earn $50,441 - $65,027 per year |
| Employment | Very large occupation |
| 10 Year Growth | Average growth |
| Annual Openings | Very High |
Preparation 
Preparation
The Preparation section describes the education, training, and experience you need to prepare for work in an occupation. This section covers the types of formal and informal training programs you should take. In addition, this topic covers the amount of experience you need to enter an occupation.
For more information see the Preparation topic.
A social worker typically needs to:
- have a high school diploma or equivalent
- have at least a bachelor's degree in social work
- have a license
Working Conditions
Working Conditions
The Working Conditions section describes an occupation's characteristics. This section covers the conditions and settings that workers in an occupation are exposed to. This list also shows characteristics that a worker needs to do well in the occupation.
For more information see the Working Conditions topic.
In a typical work setting, social workers:
- Have a high degree of social interaction. They work with clients, families, and other social workers.
- Mostly work indoors in offices, but sometimes work outdoors when visiting clients.
- Must be very exact in their work. Errors or omissions could endanger the health and safety of clients or others.
- Generally have a set schedule each week.
Wages
Wages
Multiple SOC version:
The Wage section gives you a sense of how much money workers earn in an occupation. Annual wage data appear for most occupations. The annual amount is based on working full time for 12 months.
Two types of information are given about wages--the median wage and the wage range. The median wage is represented by the line in the bar. The median wage is the amount above which half of all workers are paid and below which half of all workers are paid. This is similar to an average. The wage range from the 25% to the 75% is represented by the bar. The 25% means that one-quarter of workers in the occupation earn less than that amount. Similarly, one-quarter of workers in the occupation earn more than the 75%. Move your cursor over the bar to see the wage values.
For more information see the Wages topic.
In Illinois, social workers earn a median wage of $50,441 - $65,027 per year.
| $0 | $50 | $100 | $150 | $200 |
| Illinois |
$ amounts are in thousands of dollars.
Employment and Outlook
Employment and Outlook
The Employment and Outlook section gives you information about the size of an occupation, whether it is growing or declining in size, and how many job openings there may be each year.
There are five size categories for occupations in CIS: very small, small, medium, large, and very large. Similarly, five categories are used for the number of job openings: very few, few, moderate, high, and very high.
Five categories are also used for growth: declining, more slowly than average, average, faster than average, and much faster than average. The growth rate tells you how rapidly an occupation is expected to grow in comparison to all other occupations. This information is an estimate. No one can predict exactly how many jobs will be available. The rate of growth of an occupation is determined by several factors. A few major factors are the state of the economy, competition, technological advances, and environmental rules.
For more information see the Employment and Outlook topic.
In Illinois, 24,927 social workers work in this very large occupation.
| Location | Employment | 10 Year Growth | Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 24,927 Very large | 8.3% Average | 2,575 Very High |