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#3 isn't an actual major, but a grouping of all of the social sciences and non-performing liberal arts together.
So the list is actually pretty useless. They have economics (which is what a LOT of business-oriented students take in lieu of actual business degrees) combined with social work, sociology, history, art history, and even criminology. Those are all separate majors in different departments.
Sorry but I have to laugh at BestColleges-dot-com's "median starting salary" for Social Sciences ($74k) vs Education ($57k).
Here in my area, a 63 year old female MSW/ACSW supervising several BSW's makes a little over $60k. Those young BSW's are making way less. Teachers here, the ones lucky enough to land public school gigs, start at $53k and have just negotiated a bump to $63k next year.
Sorry but I have to laugh at BestColleges-dot-com's "median starting salary" for Social Sciences ($74k) vs Education ($57k).
Here in my area, a 63 year old female MSW/ACSW supervising several BSW's makes a little over $60k. Those young BSW's are making way less. Teachers here, the ones lucky enough to land public school gigs, start at $53k and have just negotiated a bump to $63k next year.
My SIL teaches in Long Island NY and is nearing 6 figures (she has the years in).
Granted NY is an anomaly.
I worked in the rural Texas towns and starting was about $40K with $5-10K stipend for Math teachers.
Sorry but I have to laugh at BestColleges-dot-com's "median starting salary" for Social Sciences ($74k) vs Education ($57k).
Here in my area, a 63 year old female MSW/ACSW supervising several BSW's makes a little over $60k. Those young BSW's are making way less. Teachers here, the ones lucky enough to land public school gigs, start at $53k and have just negotiated a bump to $63k next year.
Well, when they did the "Social Sciences & History" they managed to lump salary for "all life, physical and social sciences" together. By adding in "all life and physical sciences" they've made the salary data meaningless for social sciences.
The NCES charts aren't much better by what they lumped together. Perhaps the raw data is better, but these charts don't provide much information.
Common Specializations: Anthropology, criminology, economics, geography, history, legal studies, political science, social work, sociology
Political science and history are great foundations for lawyers. Economics is a great foundation for MBA's. Criminology and social work are great foundations for law enforcement. Geriatric social workers are employed by the never-ending new assisted living facilities popping up. Geographical information is used in engineering and by governments.
The issue with social sciences and history is these specializes (in most cases) require a masters degree. A masters degree requires high GRE scores and college GPA's. Right now, we have unprepared students accepted to colleges who struggle. If they graduate, their college averages are too low and they have too much undergrad debt to continue on to grad school.
The best and the brightest in social sciences do just fine - after a grad degree.
Well, when they did the "Social Sciences & History" they managed to lump salary for "all life, physical and social sciences" together. By adding in "all life and physical sciences" they've made the salary data meaningless for social sciences.
The NCES charts aren't much better by what they lumped together. Perhaps the raw data is better, but these charts don't provide much information.
“If you are hoping to make a change in the lives of vulnerable populations, then social work can be extremely fulfilling. … If you are someone that wants to earn more than $50,000 per year, then you might not find a career in social work worth it. And, that is a valid consideration.”
— Lindsey Konchar, MSW, LCSW
Still no standalone data for Social Work as a profession.
And I'm starting to wonder if those rosy "median salary" numbers include people in all career stages and with all levels of postgrad degrees.
People are just commenting that the charts aren't reality.
And that would be right up there with "opinion".
I understand that. But the point of the thread is some data...not some opinion. You know, like an opinion that was stated in some thread a while back that there would be no more historians. People in this forum have a difficult time understanding that their personal opinion doesn't always match the facts.
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