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Those who aspire to become social workers generally have the desire to work in a field that’ll positively impact the lives of others, all while giving little thought to the amount of monetary compensation that’ll be earned in exchange for their efforts. But what most students in the social work program fail to realize is that few social workers earn wages that would be adequate to both pay the inevitable student loans all while maintaining a middle class lifestyle. As a result, there are various social workers in all over the country who feel the frustration that one feels after having spent years working towards a degree only to find themselves living on wages that, after student loans and taxes, take on a feel of poverty. Though social workers, regardless of their education level, make less in wages than in other professions that require the same level of education, there are ways that a student can prevent themselves from being buried in debt and that could certainly include their choice of school or even the living arrangements that they make for themselves in order to ensure that they’re saving as much money as possible. This doesn’t necessarily mean that a career in social work should be entirely reconsidered on the basis of money, as social work is a career that greatly benefits the public, but it’s pivotal that those going into the field understand that it makes little sense to accumulate too much debt since it may be difficult to pay back with the wages that are typically earned as a social worker.

Social Work Wages

How Students Can Minimize Student Loan Debt

How Much Social Workers Earn Compared to How Much is Owed in Student Loans

2021 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures forsocial workersare based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2023.

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