According to the Council on Social Work Education (CWSE), large numbers of MSW graduates work with children and families in nonprofit or charity organizations, outpatient clinics, and government agencies from the local to federal levels. Jobs in this sector include case workers who deal with children in vulnerable situations, school social workers who help students succeed academically, and adoption specialists who connect families with children who need homes.
A large segment of MSW graduates pursue clinical social work licensure in their state of practice. These professionals work in a variety of settings to assess and treat mental and behavioral problems in their clients. They design treatment plans using a person-in-environment perspective, understanding that it's impossible to divorce each individual from the social and physical context around them. Finally, other social workers specialize in substance abuse, justice and corrections, occupational assistance, advocacy, and policy.
In the CWSE survey cited above, almost 80% of MSW graduates were confident that the job market contained either many jobs or some jobs. This tracks with BLS data on job growth in the field, which is estimated at a healthy 13% through 2029. Growth is expected to be highest for clinical and child and family social workers. Prospective applicants might also be interested in the high level of job satisfaction among MSW graduates: over 90% of the surveyed workers were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their current roles.