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What is a social worker lead and how to become one
Social workers often are a lifeline to people going through tough situations. They can work in hospitals, schools, nonprofits, and other places where they connect vulnerable people with the resources they need to overcome their situation. A social worker lead manages a whole team of social workers and takes on the administrative tasks so that the whole team can function.
The day-to-day tasks of a social worker lead depend on the needs of the team. Some days, they hire and train new staff. Other days, they set the schedule, assign cases to their team, and help connect them to resources in other departments such as healthcare workers. The social worker lead also tracks patient data and steps in to help with especially complicated cases.
Social worker leads need lots of experience in social work and knowledge about the challenges faced by the population they serve before they can lead a whole team. It's no wonder that many social worker leads have master's degrees in social work and several years of professional experience before they can do this job.
What general advice would you give to a Social Worker Lead?
Virginia Schwindt
MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University
Avg. Salary $30,197
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 9%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.51%
Asian 2.67%
Black or African American 13.37%
Hispanic or Latino 15.12%
Unknown 4.19%
White 63.14%
Genderfemale 74.89%
male 25.11%
Age - 42American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 42Stress level is very high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Social Worker Lead career paths
Key steps to become a social worker lead
Explore social worker lead education requirements
Start to develop specific social worker lead skills
Skills 
Percentages Social Work 32.41% Patients 15.01% Patient Care 5.39% Mental Health 5.10% Interdisciplinary 4.30% Complete relevant social worker lead training and internships
Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New social workers lead learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a social worker lead based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real social worker lead resumes.Obtain the necessary licensing
Becoming a licensed social worker lead usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed social worker lead in most of states. 32 states require social workers lead to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.State Education Exam License Url Kansas Degree required Third-party exam required Licensed Master Social Worker Alabama Degree required State exam required Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW) Arkansas Degree required Third-party exam required Licensed Certified Social Worker Hawaii Degree required Third-party exam required Licensed Social Worker Idaho Degree required Third-party exam required Social Workers Research social worker lead duties and responsibilities
- Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
- Provide patients and families with social services ranging from emotional support, psychiatric assessment, family interventions and accessing community resources.
- Develop, implement and overseen the learning objectives of BSW and MSW student interns as well as provided clinical guidance.
- Schedule all out-patient appointments -Provide individual and group supervision to MSW students
Get social worker lead experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a social worker lead. The most common roles before becoming a social worker lead include social worker, internship team lead and social work internship.Prepare your social worker lead resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your social worker lead resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a social worker lead resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Social Worker Lead Resume templates
Build a professional Social Worker Lead resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Social Worker Lead resume.
Apply for social worker lead jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a social worker lead job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Social Worker Lead Job
Are you a Social Worker Lead?
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Average social worker lead salary
The average Social Worker Lead salary in the United States is $30,197 per year or $15 per hour. Social worker lead salaries range between $11,000 and $82,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do social workers lead rate their job?
Social Worker Lead reviews
Working collaboratively with clients to help them understand themselves and experience their authentic selves. Learning from my clients.
Low pay
Being able to help and serve the public
Serving people, impacting change in communities, never boring
pay is low for what you need to do
Updated January 8, 2025
