Exploring Social Worker Pay: The Role of Employer Practice Setting, Licensure, and Degree Type

There is limited information about how the career choices of social workers, including attaining a license or advanced degree, influence earnings in the profession. This study explored predictors of earnings among recent social work graduates in Alabama. A block regression analysis explored the relationship among degree level, employer practice setting, licensure status, and earnings among 1,863 recent graduates attaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work. Our findings confirmed that having an advanced degree is associated with increased earnings. Employer practice setting was the strongest predictor of earnings. Results provide valuable information about career choices and compensation structures for a growing profession.