Should I get an MSW?

July 31, 2013 5:11 PM

A number of my peers are MSWs and I like the work. I would like to be able to advance further without moving into management. Is an MSW the right next step?

I'm a social worker with a BA in English/Theater. I've pretty much hit the end of the line where I work for employees without graduate degrees. Essentially the work is the same but the pay-scale is tiered differently for MSWs. There is a slightly broader pool of positions available for MSWs and they earn around $5k more a year. I want to stay at this org for the foreseeable future. I know the MSW degree would help with positions elsewhere, but really I'm thinking of an couple specific positions with my current employer. The $5k would be a 15% increase over my current salary.

I'm 30 and would like to earn more and have more focused training, but social work is not my passion and I'm not excited by the texts or training events with role-playing, speakers etc. I don't have any student loans. I spend 4+ nights a week playing music in a number of different groups. My post college plan of "somebody else pays to put out our records and merch" has succeeded but that's about it.

TLDR: Should I commit to social work and get an MSW? Should I keep my job and be happy that I don't hate it, I can afford to take the cat to the vet, and yet no savings?

posted by kittensofthenight to Work & Money (7 answers total)

A MSW is a lot of work and money. For an extra $5k a year, it doesn't sound worth it to me. I'm finishing up a MHA (healthcare administration degree), and I've almost doubled my salary with more room to move up.

If you plan to keep working while you go to school, you'll probably have to cut back on your music.

At 30, you want to be able to start saving for emergencies and also for retirement. And maybe to buy a house, or have some security if you want to have children.

I work with someone who has a theater degree, and she's doing e-learning development - making online courses to train employees. She works for a nonprofit doing good work in the community, has an interesting and creative job, works in a supportive environment, isn't too stressed out and makes about double what you do. I guess my point is that you can do good work and still make a good living.

Also, nice use of the fuckim30 tag. I've so been there.
posted by jeoc at 7:24 PM on July 31, 2013 [2 favorites]

Some questions:
How much will it cost to get the MSW? What will your monthly loan payment look like? Will there be more MSWs looking for jobs than positions available? Would your employer pay for the degree? Is the 5k a year a starting point, or is it the ending point for potential salary increases? What is about your job and your employer that you do like?
But mostly I would say no, since although I wouldn't tell you that you need be passionate about your job, just not hating it isn't enough to make a commitment to it. I also fear its quite likely that the salary increase is going to get eaten by your loan payments, and that you will end up in the same position financially, only it will be harder to pack up and leave.
posted by florencetnoa at 7:27 PM on July 31, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Given the details you provided and the two recently graduated msw's I know, I'd probably say not to. Even in the dc area where the job market is fairly strong, there is a lot of competition for relatively few spots and MSW is really only the beginning. At least in VA, you need to get hours to be certified and those positions are hard to get because most supervisors are already swamped. I think the drive to help people in this specific way is one of the main things that keeps people going, but it doesn't sound like you feel that strongly drawn to it.

I also agree with the comments above about the fiscal aspect. Unless you can get a free ride, I think loan debt will eat up any gains you make.
posted by brilliantine at 7:37 PM on July 31, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: If you're not excited by social work, I would say that you shouldn't get the degree. You should not only consider the financial aspects that others mentioned, but also the time commitment that a MSW requires. You will not only be doing classroom learning, you will also be doing internships. So you'll be in class one or two days/week, and you'll be doing internships/practicum for another 16-20 hours every week. MSWs are not easy degrees to earn. They require a lot of time and effort. If you aren't 100% invested in being a social worker, it's probably not worth your time and energy.

I'm a social worker with a BA in English/Theater.

Just FYI, in most states, you cannot call yourself a social worker without a social work degree and license.
posted by whatideserve at 6:40 AM on August 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: No, don't bother.

MSWs don't get into the business for the money (TRUST me on this!)

If this is just your day job, then I would never recommend committing time, money and energy into an enterprise that would yield so little back. Shit, you can get a sales job tomorrow that pays more than the next pay grade at your workplace.

So hang in where you are if you like it, but keep an eye peeled so you know what your next step is.

If you're not sure, take some individual training Microsoft Office products, Salesforce.com, Ruby on Rails, whatever it is that holds an interest for you and can lead to another, better paying job.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:14 AM on August 1, 2013

Response by poster: Thanks for the input, and thanks for calming me down. I think I *knew* the answer was no, but I needed some Internet Strangers to spell it out for me.

whatideserve: I am licensed through my employer, but you're right that I should have written "I work in social services."
posted by kittensofthenight at 9:32 AM on August 1, 2013

Response by poster: Also, I should clarify that I really like the work, especially the population I work with.
posted by kittensofthenight at 9:46 AM on August 1, 2013