Social workers

NOC

41300

help individuals, families and groups develop the skills and resources they need to enhance social functioning. They also provide counselling, therapy and referral to other support services.

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Full NOC Description

Social workers help individuals, couples, families, groups, communities and organizations develop the skills and resources they need to enhance social functioning and provide counselling, therapy and referral to other supportive social services. Social workers also respond to other social needs and issues such as unemployment, racism and poverty. They are employed by hospitals, school boards, social service agencies, child welfare organizations, correctional facilities, community agencies, employee assistance programs and Aboriginal band councils, or they may work in private practice.

Main Duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, to assess their situation and problems and determine the types of services required

Provide counsel and therapy to assist clients in developing skills to deal with and resolve their social and personal problems

Plan programs of assistance for clients including referral to agencies that provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, medical treatment and other services

Investigate cases of child abuse or neglect and take authorized protective action when necessary

Serve as members on interdisciplinary teams of professionals working with client groups

Act as advocates for client groups in the community, lobby for solutions to problems directly affecting client groups and develop prevention and intervention programs to meet community needs

Develop or advise on social policy legislation, conduct social research and assist in community development

Provide mediation services and psychosocial assessments

Evaluate the effectiveness of counselling and social programs

May provide public education and consultation to professionals or groups regarding counselling services, issues and methods

May supervise other social workers.

Social workers may specialize in fields of practice such as child welfare, family services, corrections, gerontology or addictions.

Also Known As

coordinator of social work
medical social worker
psychiatric social worker
social work supervisor
social worker

Requirements

Employment Requirements

A bachelor's degree in social work is required in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

In Alberta, a bachelor's degree or diploma in social work is required.

Supervised practical experience is usually required.

Successful completion of provincial written and oral examinations may be required.

Registration with a provincial governing body is mandatory to practise as a social worker in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

Use of the titles "Social Worker" and "Registered Social Worker" is regulated in all provinces.

Membership in a provincial association of social workers is usually required.

This is a registered occupation in New Brunswick. Learn the steps to register and other information by downloading the Pathway to Registration factsheet.

Provincial Regulation

Provincially Regulated: Yes

Regulation Body

New Brunswick Association of Social Workers (NBASW)

Employment by Gender

The following graph shows the percentage of men and women working in this occupation in New Brunswick.

Data legend

86.7%

Women

13.3%

Men

Employment by age

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by age group.

Data legend

3.0%

15-24

35.9%

25-34

27.7%

35-44

19.6%

45-54

13.0%

55-64

0.8%

65+

Employment by highest level of education

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick by highest level of education achieved.

Data legend

0.0%

No Certificate, Diploma or Degree

0.0%

High School, Diploma or Equivalent

0.0%

Apprenticeship or Trades Certificate or Diploma

2.6%

College or University Below Bachelor Level

97.4%

University - Bachelor Level or Above

Employment by Industry

The following graph shows the industry groups in which the largest shares of persons working in this occupation in New Brunswick are employed. Small percentages for all top three industry groups may suggest employment for this occupation is widely distributed amongst many industry groups.

Data legend

56.1%

Health care and social assistance

33.3%

Public administration

5.1%

Educational services

5.4%

All Other Industries

Employment by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the breakdown of all persons employed in this occupation in New Brunswick by which economic region they reside in.

Data legend

29.20%

Northeast

25.70%

Southeast

18.90%

Southwest

17.00%

Central

9.20%

Northwest

Economic Regions

The following map displays New Brunswick’s five economic regions. An economic region (ER) is a grouping of counties, created as a standard unit for analysis of regional economic activity across Canada.

Annual Average Salary by Economic Regions

The following graph shows the average salary of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Data legend

$69,600

Northeast

$66,400

Southeast

$69,500

Southwest

$68,500

Central

$67,000

Northwest

Economic Regions

Hourly Median Wages by Economic Regions

The following represents the median hourly wage of all persons employed in this occupation in each of New Brunswick’s five economic regions.

Salary

The following shows the average salary of everyone who worked full-time and year-round in this occupation across each of the Atlantic Provinces and nationally.

Employment Outlook

The following represents the number of job openings that are expected to occur in this occupation over the next three and ten years respectively, broken down by openings expected to result from growth (“new jobs”) and openings expected to result from attrition (death and retirements).

Occupational Profiles

Social workers

On This Page

3-Year Outlook

3-Year Job Openings

Median Hourly Wage

Average Salary

Typically Required

Employed

Full NOC Description

Main Duties

Also Known As

Employment Requirements

Provincial Regulation

Regulation Body

Data legend

Data legend

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Northeast

Southeast

Southwest

Central

Northwest

New Brunswick

Newfoundland

Prince Edward Island

Nova Scotia

Canada

Three Year Outlook

Total Openings: 3-Year

New Jobs: 3-Year

Retirements/Deaths: 3-Year

Ten Year Outlook

Total Openings: 10-Year

New Jobs: 10-Year

Retirements/Deaths: 10-Year