If you’re thinking about getting into a career that offers plenty of job openings and loads of opportunities for growth and advancement, you should definitely consider a career in social work, especially because employment in this field is expected to grow 12% from 2014-2024. But before you dive in and start taking courses towards your masters in social work from a school like Rutgers University, continue reading to learn a bit about the career outlook for this expansive field.
Medical Social Workers in Extremely High Demand
Because the healthcare industry is so vast, medical social workers are in extremely high demand, so if you want to get into social work and you have your online social work masters degree, you should definitely consider getting into the medical sector of the this exciting field.
It is expected that, between 2012-2022, medical social workers will be able to find jobs very easily because the need for these qualified professionals will increase at a faster than average rate of 27%. This translates to nearly 40,000 new job openings, and the greatest numbers of opportunities will be in the realm of geriatric care.
Abundant Family, Child, and School Social Work Opportunities
Over the next few years, there will also continue to be increased demand for social workers who know how to work with children and their families. School social workers will also be in high demand.
All of these job opportunities are growing at a faster than average rate of 15% from 2012-2022. In fact, the US Department of Labor has projected that about 43,000 new jobs will be created (particularly for school, family, and child social workers) prior to 2022. However, it’s also worth noting that the availability of local and state funding might hinder job growth slightly for social workers in K-12 schools.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Work Expansion
Unfortunately, more and more people are being diagnosed with mental health ailments, and addictions to a variety of drugs also continue to increase each year. Therefore, social workers who know how to work with mental health patients and those who suffer with substance abuse will also be in high demand over the next 10 years.
These jobs are expected to grow rapidly, and faster than the average job growth rate as well, between 2012-2022. At a 23% growth rate, there will be about 26,000 new opportunities for qualified social workers in this field, especially as increasing numbers of offenders are enrolled in specialized treatment facilities rather than being imprisoned.
Overall, the field of social work is a rapidly growing field, and there are several different sectors within the larger field of social work that you can dive into if you wish to help others. With the right education, such as an MSW online degree, you can become highly qualified to seek out these job opportunities and start or advance a career in social work. Just remember that there are many different types of social work employment opportunities, and job growth will vary by sector.
