With Heart and Expertise: Career Prospects After a Degree in Social Work
As a prospective social worker, you will become a problem solver, supporter and trailblazer for people in challenging life situations. You have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others and support them in overcoming their individual challenges.
When Is the "Social Work" Degree Programme Right for Me?
The Social Work degree programme is perfect for anyone who has a deep interest in working with people and wants to get actively involved in social issues and social problems. As a prospective social worker, you will have the opportunity to work directly with people and provide them with support in various life situations.
Social Work requires a strong sense of empathy and the ability to put oneself in other people's shoes. If you are sensitive to the needs of others and feel empathy for their challenges, then you are well suited for this degree programme.
What Career Prospects Does a Career in Social Work Offer You?
If you would like to work in a professional field that offers a wide range of opportunities, Social Work is the right choice for you! After completing a Bachelor's degree, you can work in various areas and institutions such as child and youth welfare, family counselling, addiction prevention, disability support or social psychiatry. Social Work is a wide-ranging field of work that gives you the opportunity to work with different target groups and challenges. Here is a list of some possible career fields for you:
- Child and Youth Welfare: Child and youth welfare is a central field of social work that deals with supporting and promoting young people in various life situations. As a social worker in this field, you have a great responsibility because you accompany children and young people on their way to a healthy and happy adolescence.
- Addiction Prevention and Help: You work in addiction counselling centres, detox clinics or in drug prevention and support people in overcoming addiction problems, carry out prevention work and educate people.
- Disability Support: You are employed in facilities for people with disabilities, such as workshops, residential homes or schools. You help people with disabilities to lead as self-determined and inclusive a life as possible.
- Social Psychiatry: In psychiatric care, you accompany people who have mental illnesses. You can work in psychiatric clinics, day clinics, residential homes or outpatient care facilities and provide individual support, advice and guidance.
- Social Services in Companies: Many companies have social services that offer employees support in various areas of life. Company kindergartens, social counselling centres or company health management are exactly the right places for you.
- Social Welfare Offices and Authorities: You can work in social welfare offices or local authorities in the field of refugee social work. You will support refugees in applying for benefits, such as social welfare or housing. You support them in overcoming bureaucratic hurdles and help them to integrate into society.
Potential Employers and Organisations
If you are now wondering which companies, organisations and offices you can work for as a social worker, we have put together a few examples for you:
Child and Youth Welfare: Youth Welfare Offices, German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (DGKJP), SOS Children's Village, Workers' Welfare Organisation (AWO) Child and Youth Welfare
Addiction Prevention and Help: German Centre for Addiction Issues (DHS), Addiction Help Centres, German Society for Addiction Research and Addiction Therapy (DG-Sucht), Addiction Counselling Centres in Cities and Municipalities
Disability Support: Lebenshilfe, Caritas Disability Care and Psychiatry, Workshops for People with Disabilities (WfbM), Aktion Mensch
Social Psychiatry: Psychiatric Clinics and Day Clinics, German Society for Social Psychiatry (DGSP), Social Psychiatric Services, Federal Association of People with Psychiatric Experiences (BPE)
Social Services in Companies: Company Social Counselling Centres, Health Management Departments in Companies, Company Kindergartens, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Programmes in Companies
Social Welfare Offices and Authorities: Municipal Social Welfare Offices, Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), Integration Officers in Cities and Districts, German Association of Cities
What Does a Social Worker Actually Earn?
Salary opportunities in the field of Social Work after completing a Bachelor's degree vary and depend on various factors, such as the specific job, the employer, professional experience and the region in which you work (see figure: Salaries by federal state: Youth welfare office employees, source: www.gehalt.de).
It is important to note that Social Work is a professional field that is often characterised by intrinsic motivation and the desire to help other people and drive social change, rather than financial incentives.
As a career starter with a Bachelor's degree in "Social Work", you can expect an average starting salary of between 2,300 and 3,000 euros gross per month. However, this can vary depending on the federal state, employer and occupational field.
As a rule, salaries in the public sector, such as youth welfare offices or social welfare offices, tend to be in the collectively agreed range and are based on the applicable collective agreements for the public sector. The figure shows the average gross salary of an employee in the social service with a 40-hour week. So with professional experience, you can earn around €3,500–4,000 gross per month here.
Find Out More
Would you like to find out more about career prospects and the Social Work degree programme? Then read our blog post on "Social Work, a future-oriented and diverse professional field" or register for a non-binding 30-minute info session with Christine.