How long does it take to become a healthcare social worker?

Typically about six years of study in total, then an internship or residency, often one to three years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do healthcare social workers make?

The US median is $67,880 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become a healthcare social worker?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train to become a healthcare social worker?

793 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

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How to become a healthcare social worker

Community & social service · SOC 21-1022

$67,880US median pay, 2025

+8.5%Projected growth, 2025–35

16,900Openings per year

DegreeUsual way in

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

Master's degree
Internship/residency
Work as a healthcare social worker

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Social Work	CIP 44.0701	771
Clinical/Medical Social Work	CIP 51.1503	45
Social Work, Other	CIP 44.0799	29
Medical Family Therapy/Therapist	CIP 51.1511	2
Thanatology	CIP 30.5301	1
Forensic Social Work	CIP 44.0703	1
Hospice and Palliative Care	CIP 51.1512	1

See the 793 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a healthcare social worker?: Typically about six years of study in total, then an internship or residency, often one to three years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do healthcare social workers make?: The US median is $67,880 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a healthcare social worker?: Yes — a degree is the usual way in.
Where can you train to become a healthcare social worker?: 793 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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