Annual Salary
£27,000 to £50,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Medical or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Medical or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Social workers help to protect vulnerable children and adults from harm or abuse, and support people to live independently.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
There will be
2.4% more Social worker jobs in 2027.
Your tasks will depend on if you work with children, families or adults.
As a social worker, you could:
You could work in an office, in an NHS or private hospital, at an adult care home, at a children's care home or in the community.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a degree in social work approved by Social Work England.
You could also do a postgraduate degree in social work, if you have a degree in another subject. This postgraduate degree takes 2 years.
You might be able to get a social work bursary.
You'll usually need:
You could do a Social Worker Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, which takes around 3 years.
You'll usually need:
You'll need experience of working with vulnerable groups or children for most courses and jobs.
To get skills and experience, you could:
Graduate training scheme
If you already have a 2:
The programmes are:
You'll need to:
It's possible to do a degree in social work and learning disabilities nursing.
You'll need to check that the course is recognised by the relevant professional bodies. You can get advice about this from course providers.
You can get more advice about becoming a social worker from Think Care Careers.
Explore roles in child and family social work to find more information on management and specialist roles.
Professional development
During your first year as a social worker, your employer might offer you professional development, like the Assessed and Supported Year in Employment (ASYE).
This includes extra support like:regular supervision; a training and development plan; time to meet your training and development needs
Progression
With experience you could:study for a postgraduate MA in Advanced Professional Practice with a local authority; research or study for a PhD; move into management; become a practice educator and train and mentor students
Explore roles in child and family social work to find more information on progressing into management and specialist roles.
You'll need: