How to become a social worker in Australia
Social Workers assess the social needs of individuals, families and groups, assist and empower people to develop and use the skills and resources needed to resolve social and other problems, and further human wellbeing and human rights, social justice and social development.
The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the social workers group are projected to grow 25.3% between May 2025 and May 2035, faster than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Acting as a facilitator between clients in need and community services
- Assessing resources for health, welfare, recreation, housing, employment and other community services
- Providing leadership and assistance for the implementation of pilot projects in community development and self-help, and planning and implementing research projects to address client needs, organisation goals and social policy
- Cooperating with community organisations, social agencies and voluntary groups to improve services and develop new services
- Conducting individual and family case interviews to identify the nature and extent of clients' problems
- Assisting clients to understand and resolve problems by providing information, acting as a mediator and referring them to community and self-help agencies
How to get there
What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the social workers group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 82% a degree or higher, 9% a diploma, 4% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria19 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Social Work (Regional and Remote) · Deakin, Geelong Waterfront62.75 Social Work · Deakin, Geelong Waterfront60.30 Social Work (Honours) · RMIT, City60.25 Social Work · Federation, Mount Helen (Ballarat)56.35 Social Work (Honours) · La Trobe, Melbourne55.35Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 9 of 19 matches. Search every course.
NSW and ACT44 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) · UNSW84.00 Bachelor of Social Work · Western Sydney81.80 Bachelor of Social Work · Sydney80.10 Bachelor of Social Work · Wollongong80.05 Bachelor of Social Work · Charles Sturt71.60 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) · Newcastle70.30 Bachelor of Social Work · CQUniversity65.90 Bachelor of Social Work · ACU63.85Diplomas and other ways in
Diploma of Arts, Social Science and Humanities/Bachelor of Social Work · Wollongong31.80 Diploma of Arts, Social Science and Humanities Fast Track/Bachelor of Social Work · Wollongong47.00 Diploma of Social and Human Services/Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) · Griffith65.30Showing 12 of 44 matches. Search every course.
Queensland40 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Social Work · UQ, St Lucia75.60 Bachelor of Social Work · QUT, Kelvin Grove71.65 Bachelor of Social Work · UniSQ, External68.00 Bachelor of Social Work · JCU, Cairns67.30 Bachelor of Social Work · UNE, Armidale66.00 Bachelor of Social Work · CQUniversity, Online65.90 Bachelor of Social Work · UniSC, Sunshine Coast58.15Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 12 of 40 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia3 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Social Work · ECU, South West (Bunbury)70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) · UWA, Perth70.00 guaranteed Bachelor of Social Work · Curtin, Perth66.55Matched on course names, 106 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Social, Conventional, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Child, Family, and School Social Workers", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
Youth worker$1,844 Secondary school teacher$2,322 Primary school teacher$2,226 University lecturer$2,924 Special education teacher$2,160Done this job, or studied for it?
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.