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ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a associate's degree in Social Work worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 41 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$150,417 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting associate's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 2-year duration.

Not availableTime to earn back the modeled cost
−139%Estimated return after 10 years
$40,761Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$40,761 observed annual earnings · 2 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$40,761Typical earnings four years after completion
$38,259Average earnings five years after completion
$17,033Typical federal student debt
26thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
37College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Social Work

How much do Social Work associate's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $40,761 four years after completion across reportable associate's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $17,033. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Social Work?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $36,363 to $43,871 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Social Work?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 9 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COMPARE DEGREE LEVELS

More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.

Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings
$34,968
Federal debt
$11,018
Programs in the comparison
4
3 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$40,761
Federal debt
$17,033
Programs in the comparison
41
37 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$51,410
Federal debt
$26,475
Programs in the comparison
463
442 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$60,275
Federal debt
$26,000
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings
$62,611
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
283
283 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings
$103,777
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
6
6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

First Professional Degree

Year-4 earnings
$68,031
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
3
3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings
$82,838
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings
$57,436
Federal debt
Not available
Programs in the comparison
1
1 report earnings →
COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$36,363National median$40,76175th percentile$43,871
37 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$43,87175th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$17,033Median federal debt across programs that report it
6Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Brookdale Community College

$57,548 four years after completionLincroft, NJ · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debt

South Texas College

$6,227 among completer borrowersMcAllen, TX · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating class

Salt Lake Community College

66 reported awards in 2024–25Salt Lake City, UT · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

$51,496Observed year-4 earnings$35,379
$3,085Annual college-wide average net price$13,970
All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Brookdale Community College$57,5482Holyoke Community College$51,6903Community College of Allegheny County$51,4964Austin Community College District$50,6625Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus$49,8806Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester Campus$49,8807Ferris State University$49,8198Texas Southmost College$44,9909Sinclair Community College$44,58610University of Cincinnati-Main Campus$43,871

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Social and Community Service Managers$80,390 median wage209,330 jobs nationwide+7.2% projected growth through 2035 · 18,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,150–$132,260 typical wage rangeChild, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550 median wage392,550 jobs nationwide+4.4% projected growth through 2035 · 33,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$42,280–$95,530 typical wage rangeSocial Work Teachers, Postsecondary$77,570 median wage12,610 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$48,200–$126,790 typical wage rangeSocial Workers, All Other$71,900 median wage62,930 jobs nationwide+2.3% projected growth through 2035 · 5,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$43,620–$115,610 typical wage rangeHealthcare Social Workers$67,880 median wage187,630 jobs nationwide+8.5% projected growth through 2035 · 16,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$46,220–$100,360 typical wage rangeMental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers$60,280 median wage132,810 jobs nationwide+10.3% projected growth through 2035 · 12,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$39,740–$104,170 typical wage rangeMarriage and Family Therapists$66,940 median wage66,740 jobs nationwide+13.5% projected growth through 2035 · 6,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$44,650–$123,730 typical wage rangeProbation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$66,270 median wage89,390 jobs nationwide+3.0% projected growth through 2035 · 7,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$46,840–$107,790 typical wage rangeCounselors, All Other$50,860 median wage28,580 jobs nationwide+5.9% projected growth through 2035 · 4,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$36,240–$91,940 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

COMPARE NEARBY FIELDS

Similar degrees in the same subject family

These alternatives share the same broad federal CIP family and credential level. Earnings and debt use the same definitions as this page.

Associate's Degree

Human Services, General

Year-4 earnings
$40,247
Federal debt
$20,441
83 reporting programs →Associate's Degree

Community Organization and Advocacy

Year-4 earnings
$42,552
Federal debt
$13,805
12 reporting programs →
EXPLORE BY STATE

Where this degree has enough data to compare

State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.

OH9 programs$40,419 average earningsTX6 programs$40,506 average earningsNJ6 programs$45,699 average earnings

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.