The Licensed Social Work Workforce From the 2024 Social Work Workforce Survey
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12385449 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jeounghee Kim (0000-0001-9305-7142, The State University of New Jersey, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 475-498 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-07 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Research on Social Work Practice (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1049-7315 • E-ISSN: 1552-7581 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/10497315251411525 |
| OpenAlex | W7119026721 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 14 |
Objectives: This study aims to provide the first national profile of the licensed social work workforce by practice category. Method: Based on a sample of 39,456 licensed social workers from the 2024 Workforce Survey, descriptive analyses examined their composition and detailed characteristics. Results: The estimated licensed workforce comprised 59% Clinical, 30% Masters, 4.53% Advanced Generalists, and 6.45% Bachelors social workers. Most positions required or preferred a social work degree and licensure. Approximately 26% of clinical social workers were self-employed. Masters social workers practiced in various settings with a focus on mental health services. Advanced Generalists often worked as administrators or program managers, while Bachelors social workers mostly worked in nonmental health settings. The median earnings for full-time, year-round licensed social workers were $67,980 for Masters, $76,220 for Advanced Generalist, and $82,400 for Clinical social workers. Conclusions: The results call for regular workforce studies to better inform stakeholders’ workforce development efforts
Earnings · Work (physics · Workforce · Workforce development · Workforce planning · Interprofessional Education and Collaboration · Nursing Roles and Practices · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work
| Highly cited | No |
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