March is Social Work Month, and this year’s theme—“Compassion + Action”—is especially apt, as social workers are compassionate care workers who act on behalf of the communities in which they serve to cultivate a more safe, just, and equitable society for us all. March is also Women’s History Month, and as 83 percent of social workers are women, this is the perfect time to highlight social workers’ significant contributions to the betterment of society and to advocate for better pay and overall working conditions for this critical profession.
Historically, care work—which encompasses work that delivers a “face-to-face service that develops the human capabilities of the recipient”—has been feminized, as most of it is performed by women. This feminization of care work contributes to its undervaluation, which is reflected in the low wages, inadequate benefits, and poor working conditions that care workers often experience.
Like most forms of care work, social work is also undervalued. Social workers provide essential services to the public, including counseling and psychotherapy, case management, advocacy, and other key social and health support services. Unfortunately, social workers’ earnings do not reflect the significance of the work they do. Their low compensation often leads to financial difficulties and can contribute to basic needs insecurity. According to a survey of 827 community-based full-time frontline human service workers conducted by Illinois Partners for Human Services, 82 percent of social workers reported that they do not earn a living wage and have difficulties affording necessities, such as housing, food, and medical care. In New York City, over a quarter (27 percent) of core human services workers are “near poverty,” and 20 percent receive food stamps. Because they are overrepresented in the sector, the insufficient wages of social workers disproportionately harm Black women, forcing them to choose between their work and their needs.
In addition to low pay, social workers often incur a high student debt burden since most social work jobs require advanced degrees, and the earnings are not proportional to the level of education and experience required to obtain social work roles. Black/African American and Hispanic master of social work (MSW) graduates incur substantially higher student debt (at an average of $66,000) than their White peers (at an average of $45,000). Generally, Black women carry the highest amount of student debt in the US and tend to struggle to pay it off, which perpetuates the racial wealth gap and has implications for generational wealth building, job prospects, and overall economic mobility.
The demanding nature of social work means that many social workers experience burnout at some point in their careers. They must manage high workloads, lack work-life balance, and may endure vicarious trauma from continuously working with clients experiencing hardship. Despite this, social workers are often motivated by a desire to help others, and that desire may outweigh the challenges of the work. Social workers should be lauded for their meaningful contributions to enriching their communities and improving society’s overall well-being.
Three key steps that policymakers and organizations can take to recognize and honor social workers for their contributions include: (1) pay them a fair, living wage, (2) relieve their student debt, and (3) provide the necessary support to help them manage their workloads while increasing their workplace flexibility. Though not exhaustive, these steps are a great starting point toward helping social workers achieve the quality of life they deserve.
Stay tuned for our upcoming policy brief detailing specific recommendations for how policymakers, organizations, and advocates can foster a better future for social workers.
