Average MSW Salary for NYC

[TMS@1987]

Hey, do any of you know what the average salary is for a new MSW in NYC? I am asking because I am very interested in living in the city but with the rent being so high in almost all of the places I have looked at I'm a little worried about being able to afford it. When I put in my information into a job search website it said that the average social worker salary was $75,000, but this seems a little high to me. Any thoughts?

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[progter]

you dont have to live in the city to work in it

plenty of places outside of it you can live for much cheaper and just train ride in

brooklyn being one of them

 

[TMS@1987]

progter, are there particular areas of Brooklyn you would recommend? I just ask because whenever I tell people i'm thinking of that as an option they get all bug-eyed like I said I was moving to Baghdad.

 

[progter]

progter, are there particular areas of Brooklyn you would recommend? I just ask because whenever I tell people i'm thinking of that as an option they get all bug-eyed like I said I was moving to Baghdad.

lol yea thats because Brooklyn has a bad rep but it is definitely on the up and up

Personally, I don't know of specific areas but you can research that on the internet easily. Just find the new apartment buildings that are going up and start there.

For as close as you are to the city, the price is more than fair to live there.

 

[jnine]

Check out living in new jersey too. A convenient way to commute from NJ to lower/mid manhattan is the hudson-bergen light rail. The light rail goes into hoboken station where you can get a train into manhattan. There are many options under an hour door2door commute time. Check out the areas near those stops. You can find many 1-2 br apts for under 1000$

of course it's not the same as living in manhattan. if you still want to live in manhattan look at the very northern tip. there's some good deals there.

 

[jiji7]

I go to Columbia and live in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn is not what the movies/media make it out to be. There are very nice areas, some with ridiculously wealthy people. Many celebrities live out here too.

The best areas in Brooklyn are Williamsburg (younger hipster vibe), Fort Greene, Bushwick, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope.

Bushwick is getting more and more popular and is still pretty cheap, plus it's conveniently located off the L train and only a 15-20min ride into the city.

Another great area is Queens. I used to live in Astoria which is amazing and Long Island City in Queens is great too.

Don't be fooled by people's perception of Brooklyn and Queens!!

Good luck!

 

[Wilhem]

Here is what I found at Indeed.com with Search Job Titles Only. I hope this helps. Where it says psychologist I typed Licensed Psychologist. It is cut off of the pic for editing.
You have different option. Good Luck.

 

[meriwether]

I'm a Columbia MSW and have been looking for work for several months now. Most clinical entry level positions are in the low to mid 40s.

 

[slawburg]

To the recent Columbia graduate Meriwether - how are you feeling at this point about spending a little extra for CUSSW?
Would you say it was a good decision?
I'm still trying to decide for this fall so any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you much!

 

[meriwether]

I only applied to Columbia because they had a certain joint degree program that I was interested in. Honestly, I was in a fortunate position where my parents could pay for my education so cost wasn't so much an issue. If cost is an issue, though, I would advise you to take on as little debt as possible unless there is a very specific reason you want to go to CUSSW (e.g. you want to do policy work). An Ivy degree doesn't matter much in a field like social work. In fact if you are sure you want to do clinical work I would argue NYU has the stronger program despite not being ranked all that highly. Another thing - a lot of people get jobs through their placement agencies so I would recommend going to school somewhere where you can imagine living for at least a few years.

BTW I did get an offer today (through an agency) to do foster care work at $25/hr.

Good luck, let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[slawburg]

Hi,
Thanks for your reply Meriwether!
Indeed, I have heard that quite a few times that an Ivy degree for clinical social work is not all that important. The only reason I am considering Columbia is for the International Social Welfare/Policy track and Law minor - and chance to take more classes through SIPA. I already have an MPH and have been working over overseas with refugees from Burma pursuing in advocacy and can see that the degree would help in this capacity - but I'm still freaked out about the debt!!!!
Do you know if this program has received positive reviews from students?
Thank you!

 

[meriwether]

Columbia is very strong in policy overall, I would imagine the international social welfare track is likewise strong although I do not know anyone who was on that track. I do know a few people who did the law minor and I'm pretty sure you need to take all of your electives at the law school.

 

[NYtherapist]

I just had to interject. As a lifelong Brooklyn resident, I'd strongly discourage you from the areas suggested in an earlier post. While Williamsburg has become a hipster area in recent years, it's not a place I'd recommend living. Park Slope has some beautiful sections, but the rent in those areas is comparable to what you'd pay in Manhattan. The other areas mentioned are high crime.

If you're conidering Brooklyn, take a look in Bay Ridge, ****r Heights, Sheephead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Gravesend, Bensonhurst, and Midwood. They all make Manhattan easily accessible and will have reasonable rent available.

 

[SpoiledKiwi]

I'd also suggest looking into Astoria and Forest Hills in Queens. You're 10-15 minutes outside of the city and they're very nice areas with shopping, restaurants, gyms, etc.

The best way to find salaries is to look at job postings online that list salary info for a position that requires the amount of experience that you have. Government positions usually pay very well so check out USAjobs.com. NYC social worker salaries are higher than average, but probably won't be enough for you to live by yourself in the city. If you're young and don't mind living with 2-3 other people, it's more than doable. But if not, you can usually find a decent studio in a nice area of Brooklyn/Queens for around $800 or $900. Don't be tempted by the cheap prices of some studios, they're going to be in terrible neighborhoods. Check out Craigslist for examples of stuff in your price range.

Good Luck!

 

[meriwether]

Just an update--I found a job as a medical social worker and the pay is $35/hour.