Persisting Gender Differences in Social Workers' Incomes: Does the Profession Really Care?

Gender continues to be a strong indicator of income for social workers with master's degrees. This article discusses the results of a study to determine differences in incomes between male and female social workers. Male social workers who responded to a survey reported receiving about $8,000 more annually than female social workers. Differences persisted when other factors were controlled: age, years of experience, number of hours worked per week, method of practice (administrative versus direct practice), and field of practice (for example, children and families versus mental health). Because these findings support those from numerous earlier studies, a larger question emerges: Do we, as a profession, really care?