We surveyed 9,157 social workers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical social worker. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a social worker?
Low
High
Working as a social worker typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.
Can I learn to become a social worker?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a social worker typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.
Is it easy to get a job as a social worker?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically difficult to find a job as a social worker. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for social workers.
Do social workers work full-time or part-time?
85% of social workers work in full-time roles while 15% work part-time.
Is being a social worker stressful?
Low
High
Stress is very commonplace for social workers, contributing negatively towards career satisfaction.
Is being organized important as a social worker?
Low
High
Organization is considered a very important trait for social workers, and is critical to success in the field.
How competitive is the workplace for social workers?
Low
High
Competition at work is not common for social workers.
Does being a social worker require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
Social workers will see frequent time pressure on the job, likely contributing to an occasionally stressful work environment.
Are social workers allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
Social workers rarely get a chance to express themselves creatively.
Do social workers have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
Social workers tend to have a set and inflexible work schedule that they are unable to deviate from too much.
Is being a social worker physically demanding?
Low
High
Work as a social workers is not the most physically demanding of careers, falling in the bottom half of all careers.
Are social workers exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
The workload of a social worker changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.
Does being a social worker require attention to detail?
Low
High
As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for social workers.
Does being a good social worker require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a social worker.