Social work vs. psychology: Outlook & salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the 2015 median annual salaries for psychologists ($72,580) and social workers ($45,900 at the bachelor's level and $60,000 at the master's level) are both higher than the national average for all occupations ($36,200).Students in a
social work major can earn a bachelor's or master's degree.
Some social workers choose to specialize their practice; some options include:
- Child and family social work.
- School social work.
- Healthcare social work.
- Geriatric social work.
- Mental health and substance abuse social work.
Here are some minors that will complement your social work major nicely:
- Sociology. Sociology is the study of the development, structure and functioning of human society and social groups.
- Political Science.
- Psychology.
- Spanish.
- Conclusion.
The main difference between psychologists and social workers is that psychologists are also are trained to administer psychological tests (like intelligence and personality assessments), while social workers are not. In addition, psychologists tend to have a slightly different perspective of the therapeutic process.
Social Worker
Possible work settings for social workers include hospitals, government, and child welfare agencies. Some students with a bachelor's degree in psychology go on to pursue graduate school to practice in the field, but others find jobs as social workers, mental health case managers, and more.Unfortunately there is no way to become licensed with bachelor's degree in Psychology. Those with a degree in Psychology can apply to get a second bachelor's degree in Social Work. Many programs in the field will accept Psychology students, since they are very similar fields.
A clinical psychology Ph.D. is a natural next step in your education if you already have a master's degree in social work (MSW). With a Ph.D., you'll learn clinical skills and can become a licensed psychologist. Social workers, by contrast, have median earnings of $42,480.
Is It Possible to Double Major in Nursing and Social Work? While there do not appear to be programs that actually offer those degrees in a formal combination, it is possible to double major in the two subject areas, as long as you don't mind prolonging your years in school.
As a major, psychology is notoriously easy. Its a broad area, and undergrad level classes are going to be covering alot of areas, but only at skin deep levels. Yes, you will be writing a few papers and you will get a fair dose of statistics, but the classwork itself is not terribly difficult.
Jobs You Can Get with a Psychology Degree
- Correctional Officer* Correctional officers are responsible for safeguarding prison inmate populations.
- Police Officer*
- Psychiatric Technician*
- Social Work Assistant*
- Administrative Service Manager.
- Community Service Manager.
- Computer Programmer.
- Health Educator.
A double major sounds great, but it requires a lot of extra work and sacrifice. And in some instances, it doesn't help a graduate earn any more money or have any better job prospects at graduation.
"A double major is where you major in two subjects heading towards the same degree. Similarly, a triple major can either mean three subjects towards one degree or three different subjects towards three different majors. Triple majoring, although hard to achieve, is actually doable.
The 14 Easiest Majors to Study in College
- #1: Psychology. Psychology majors study the inner workings of the human psyche.
- #2: Criminal Justice.
- #3: English.
- #4: Education.
- #5: Social Work.
- #6: Sociology.
- #7: Communications.
- #8: History.
However, your current bachelor's degree may not be enough to get you into graduate school. Getting another bachelor's degree is one good way to address those problems. Furthermore, a second bachelor's degree can open up more possibilities for graduates.
You might consider taking a minor when you're interested in a specific subject but don't want to make it your major area of focus or when you want to complement your major. While a minor can provide a number of benefits, it's also worth considering the potential downsides before you make your ultimate decision.
Some important differences in these majors are as follows. They emphasize on different areas. Sociology focuses on how groups and societies function, while psychology focuses on how individuals function. Psychology majors have more face-to-face interaction with people during their internships in clinical settings.
It's easy to get "A's" if you're an education major. Research over the years has indicated that education majors, who enter college with the lowest average SAT scores, leave with the highest grades. Some of academic evidence documenting easy A's for future teachers goes back more than 50 years!
Psychology and sociology go hand in hand – they are both the scientific study of people. Both sociology and psychology are interesting majors because they are related to experiences in daily life. It will be easier for you to decide between the two majors if you keep some important factors in mind.
But is it worth the time to study sociology if you have a desire to understand it? Then yes. So like many social sciences sociology is not a well earning degree on it's own for the most part but if you love the topic then it's worth it, especially if you can make a living using your degree like I am blessed to.
There are a range of specific abilities and skills associated with a degree in sociology but there are also wider transferable skills that you can develop. Sociology is a good fit for a career in business: It is very hard out there just now. The truth is that no one with any kind of degree is going to walk into a job.
Below are 10 of the highest paying jobs for sociology grads.
- Guidance Counselors.
- Human Resources Representative.
- Lawyers.
- Market Research Analyst.
- Policy Analysts.
- Public Relations Specialist.
- Social Workers.
- Sociologist.
Career Options for Sociology Majors
- Guidance Counselor. Guidance counselors use knowledge of the sociology of learning to help students navigate the academic world.
- Human Resources (HR) Representative.
- Lawyer.
- Management Consultant.
- Market Research Analyst.
- Media Planner.
- Policy Analyst.
- Public Relations (PR) Specialist.
Courses to Take
Subjects that are primarily based around essay writing, such as History, English Literature, Psychology or Sociology are good choices in this regard as they are well suited in terms of progression and many are considered to be 'prestigious' courses, widely accepted by the majority of Universities.The Sociology Program prepares one for a lifetime of change by developing one's appreciation of diversity, love of learning, writing and study skills, and knowledge base about human behavior, social organization, culture, and social change. Sociology helps us look more objectively at our society and other societies.
Highest Paying Psychology Careers
- Psychiatrist. Average Yearly Salary: $216,090.
- Industrial-Organizational Psychologist. Average Yearly Salary: $102,530.
- Neuropsychologist. Average Yearly Salary: $93,440.
- Engineering Psychologist. Average Yearly Salary: $90,340.
- Psychology Teacher.
- Clinical Psychologist.
- Counseling Psychologist.
- School Psychologist.
Here is a look at some of the promising careers sociology majors can choose from when they graduate from college.
- Journalism.
- Social Work.
- Law Enforcement.
- Business Marketing.
- Research.
- Human Resource.
- Community Health Work.
- Career Development. Sociologists are also good in communication.
Top 5 Most Difficult College Majors
- Engineering major. These days, engineering is one of the most popular degrees.
- Chemistry major. Chemistry nowadays is one of the top college majors.
- Physics major. Without physics, our world would have been very different.
- Social Sciences major.
- Computer Science major.
You can get a double major done in four years once you get to college, but it's even better if you start that work in high school!
Due to this extra time spent in school, a dual degree typically costs more money overall than a double major does You'll need to pay more for tuition since you're taking more credits in total; you'll also need to pay more for things like housing, textbooks, and meals since you'll be staying in school longer.
College students that declare a double major concentrate on two separate majors during their undergraduate years, meaning that they will earn a bachelor's degree with two majors at graduation. A double major sounds impressive, but just like anything else in life, it has its pros and cons.
The top double major combinations for men are as follows:
- Economics and Political Science.
- Economics and Foreign Language.
- Economics and Mathematics.
- Engineering and Mathematics.
- Economics and Business.
- Political Science and Philosophy.
- Engineering and Computer Science.
- Foreign Language and International Studies.
Students may double major because they're very passionate about two fields of study, and since they want to do both they're willing to take on the extra workload. Some might have preferred not to double major, but the absence of a minor degree in the desired field forces the issue.
This can be a combination of two bachelor's degrees, a bachelor's and a master's degree, or two graduate/professional degrees. Since you're studying two (different) fields and earning two separate degrees, you'll need to stay in school longer—usually an extra one to two years for an undergraduate dual degree program.
Employers value experience.
Employers rated the influence of internships higher than candidates' majors. Sadly, students who often pursue double majors may not make time for internships or co-curricular activities because they are carrying a higher credit load or need to take courses during the summer.Double majors are generally cheaper than dual degrees, too; usually, you'll only need to pay for one four-year college tuition. It's also easier to facilitate than a dual degree, since you can pursue a double major through a single matriculation. Still, you'll enjoy some of the benefits a dual degree would afford you.
