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Other Social Work

Types of Degrees Other Social Work Majors Are Earning

Those studying Other Social Work may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	15
Associate’s Degree	52
Bachelor’s Degree	52
Master’s Degree	503

What Other Social Work Majors Need to Know

Studies in Other Social Work emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Social Work graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Other Social Work emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Other Social Work program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Social Work careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Social Work graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Social Work professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Social Work graduates include:

• Case Manager
• Social Worker
• Geriatric Social Work Professor
• University Faculty Member
• College Professor
• Social Work Professor
• Clinical Professor
• Health Social Work Professor
• Social Work Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Associate Professor
• Social Work Instructor
• Field Instructor
• Field Education Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Social Work graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	40.9%
Doctoral degree	29.4%
Bachelor’s degree	18.6%
First professional degree	3.4%
Post-master’s certificate	3.0%
Post-doctoral training	2.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.7%
Some college courses	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Social Work?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 89.1% of Other Social Work degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	554	89.1%
Men	68	10.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Social Work graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	414	66.6%
Asian	11	1.8%
Hispanic or Latino	87	14.0%
Black or African American	67	10.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	9	1.4%
Race Unknown	20	3.2%
International Students	12	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Social Work Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Other Social Work graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,745
4 years	$51,599
5 years	$57,911

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,911 — roughly 16% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Other Social Work Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Other Social Work. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	0
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	2	1
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Other Social Work Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Social Work graduates earn a median of $51,599 four years after completion — roughly 36% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Social Work	44.07
Forensic Social Work	44.0703
Social Work	44.0701
Youth Services/Administration	44.0702
Community Organization and Advocacy	44.0201

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.