# Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary

US SOC code 25-1113. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-1113

Also called: Social work professor, MSW professor, BSW professor, Social work faculty, Social work lecturer.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **12,610** US postsecondary social work teachers, with median pay of **$77,570** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **13,640**, in May 2019. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.cswe.org/our-history) of **2,200** from 1950, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for postsecondary social work teachers: Online MSW programs, 2005 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1113&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **51.1%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1898
- Latest US employment: 12,610 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $77,570 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [6]
- Outlook: +2.6% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [20]

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1950 | 2,200 (estimate) | n/a | Est., CSWE [1] |
| 1970 | 5,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Council on Social Work Education [1] |
| 1975 | n/a | $15,200 (estimate) | Est., AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey… [5] |
| 1990 | 8,500 (estimate) | n/a | Est., CSWE [2] |
| 2000 | 10,200 (estimate) | $47,000 (estimate) | Est., O\*NET 25-1113.00 (employment) [3]; Est., AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey… (pay) [5] |
| 2003 | 6,470 | $51,360 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 6,670 | $51,960 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 7,440 | $52,660 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 7,860 | $54,340 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 7,510 | $56,240 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 7,930 | $59,140 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 8,290 | $61,010 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 9,370 | $63,090 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 9,970 | $63,480 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 9,810 | $63,250 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 10,780 | $64,280 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 10,970 | $62,440 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 11,740 | $63,390 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 11,860 | $64,030 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 12,430 | $64,370 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 12,620 | $68,300 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 13,640 | $72,070 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 13,580 | $71,570 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 12,280 | $71,010 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 12,050 | $66,510 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 11,730 | $75,020 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 13,350 | $76,210 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 12,610 | $77,570 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (84)

### Employment series

1. [CSWE, "The Road to 1952" (CSWE Brief History): predecessor AASSW accreditation covering ~50 graduate programs by 1950; Hollis-Taylor Report 1951 documented understaffing](https://www.cswe.org/our-history), Council on Social Work Education
2. [CSWE, Annual Survey of Social Work Programs (historical series, 1952-present): program count data used for estimate; specific faculty count data for 1990 derived from CSWE ERIC-archived report series](https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED619912), CSWE / ERIC
3. [O\*NET 25-1113.00 -- BLS-sourced occupational data for Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary (2000 SOC code introduction reference)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1113.00), O\*NET / BLS
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

5. [AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey (1974-75) -- average faculty salaries by rank; social work faculty estimated below all-faculty median; AAUP data covers all disciplines from 1958 onward](https://www.aaup.org/issues-higher-education/faculty-employment/faculty-compensation-survey), American Association of University Professors
6. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
7. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

8. [Columbia University School of Social Work Wikipedia -- historical milestones; Mary Richmond "Social Diagnosis" (1917) as first canonical social work text](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_School_of_Social_Work), Wikipedia
9. [Mimeograph machine Wikipedia -- history of the mimeograph as the dominant document-duplication technology in schools from 1920s through early 1980s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimeograph), Wikipedia
10. [CSWE -- "The Road to 1952" (CSWE Brief History): founding in January 1952; purpose "to promote the development of sound programs of social work education"; first president Helen R. Wright; first accreditation standards established](https://www.cswe.org/our-history), Council on Social Work Education
11. [GradSchools.com -- "The Surprising Evolution of Technology in the Classroom": overhead projector became standard in US classrooms 1950s-1960s; preceded by film projector; displaced by digital projector in 1990s](https://www.gradschools.com/degree-guide/technology-in-the-classroom-timeline-curriculum-planning), GradSchools.com
12. [CSWE -- Council on Social Work Education Wikipedia: BSW accreditation formally authorized by National Commission on Accrediting in 1974; approximately 151 programs received BSW accreditation approval in 1973-74](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Social_Work_Education), Wikipedia
13. [HowStuffWorks -- "The Fascinating History of the Mimeograph Machine": photocopier "almost at once took over" from mimeograph beginning late 1960s; by 1980 photocopiers were standard in most educational institutions](https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/inventions/mimeograph.htm), HowStuffWorks
14. [History of technology in the classroom (Study.com): course management systems from mid-1990s; Blackboard 1998 launch; LMS adoption accelerated through 2000s in higher education](https://study.com/academy/lesson/history-of-technology-in-the-classroom.html), Study.com
15. [CSWE Annual Survey of Social Work Programs -- program count data showing online and hybrid MSW programs growing from roughly 10 in 2005 to 200+ by 2020](https://www.cswe.org/annual-survey-social-work-programs), Council on Social Work Education
16. [JSWE (2024) -- "Artificial Intelligence in Social Work Education": 62% of social work educators use AI for course prep; survey of faculty at both online and residential programs across R1, regional university, and liberal arts formats](https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ujsw20), Journal of Social Work Education
17. [Frontiers in Education -- "Distance Education in Social Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Changes and Challenges" (2021): student experience, faculty challenges, and program adaptations during the pandemic-driven online pivot](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.720565/full), Frontiers in Education
18. [MDPI Sustainability -- "Social Work Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2023): longitudinal analysis of program adaptations; telepractice field placements; CSWE emergency accreditation guidance](https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/9009), MDPI Sustainability
19. [Social Work Today -- "Technology in the Classroom: Social Work Faculty Navigate AI" (March 2025): documentation AI training identified as highest-priority curriculum gap by field supervisors; 62% of faculty use AI for course prep](https://www.socialworktoday.com/), Social Work Today

### Forecasts and exposure studies

20. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 25-1113 Social work teachers, postsecondary (2025: 16.0 thousand; 2035: 16.4 thousand; +2.6%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1113&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
21. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 25-1113.00, human-rated β 0.511)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

22. [CSWE -- "CSWE: A Brief History": 1898 Summer School in Philanthropic Work; New York COS founding; Mary Richmond's 1897 speech calling for systematic training](https://www.cswe.org/our-history), Council on Social Work Education
23. [History of Social Work in America (SocialWorkDegrees.org): Mary Richmond "Social Diagnosis" (1917) as first canonical social work text; casebook method established as core pedagogy](https://www.socialworkdegrees.org/the-history-of-social-work), SocialWorkDegrees.org
24. [Columbia University School of Social Work Wikipedia: faculty contributions to Social Security Act (1935) and Peace Corps (1961) noted as historical milestones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_School_of_Social_Work), Wikipedia
25. [Social Welfare History Project -- "American Social Policy in the 1960s and 1970s": Economic Opportunity Act 1964, Medicare/Medicaid 1965; expansion of social welfare programs requiring trained social workers; demand for MSW programs grew substantially](https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/war-on-poverty/american-social-policy-in-the-60s-and-70s/), Social Welfare History Project / VCU
26. [Council on Social Work Education Wikipedia: National Commission on Accrediting formally authorized CSWE to accredit baccalaureate social work programs in 1974; BSW accreditation standards issued 1973](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_on_Social_Work_Education), Wikipedia
27. [CSWE EPAS 2022 -- Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards: technology competency as core practice behavior (effective July 2022); licensed faculty of record mandate for clinical sequences; field education director licensure requirements](https://www.cswe.org/accreditation-standards-epas), Council on Social Work Education

### Predecessors & successors

28. [Columbia School of Social Work Wikipedia -- founders of the 1898 New York Summer School in Philanthropic Work were COS workers and settlement house residents, not credentialed academics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_School_of_Social_Work), Wikipedia
29. [CSWE EPAS 2022 -- faculty of record for clinical sequences must have LCSW-eligible credentials; the pipeline from clinical practice to faculty role is structurally embedded in CSWE requirements](https://www.cswe.org/accreditation-standards-epas), Council on Social Work Education

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1113.00): tasks, work activities, knowledge domains, technology skills, employment data](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1113.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OES May 2025 — Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary: ~11,500 employed; median annual wage $75,280; BLS OOH projects +7% growth for postsecondary teachers 2024-2034](https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251113.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [CSWE — Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS 2022): technology competency as core practice behavior; licensed faculty of record mandate for clinical sequences; field education director licensure requirements; 874 BSW + 312 MSW accredited programs (2023-2024)](https://www.cswe.org/accreditation-standards-epas), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NASW — "AI and Social Work Practice" position statement (2025): social work faculty responsibility to teach algorithmic bias literacy; AFST/RFD racial disproportionality as required curriculum content; NASW Code of Ethics applies to AI in field placements](https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Technology/NASW-AI-Social-Work-2025), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Journal of Social Work Education (JSWE, 2024) — "Artificial Intelligence in Social Work Education": 78% of faculty concerned about AI-generated assignments masking skills gaps; 62% use AI for course prep; 41% have integrated AI ethics content in response to CSWE technology competency mandate](https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ujsw20), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Social Work Today — "Technology in the Classroom: Social Work Faculty Navigate AI" (March 2025): 12 MSW faculty across six programs; documentation AI training identified as highest-priority curriculum gap; institutional AI policies lagging faculty need](https://www.socialworktoday.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Chronicle of Higher Education — "The Social Work Professor's Dilemma" (Feb 2026): AI-generated process recordings identified as specific faculty concern — mimic surface form while masking underdeveloped clinical observation; faculty responses: oral examination supplements, witnessed in-session recordings](https://www.chronicle.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Chouldechova et al. (2018, FAT\*) — "A case study of algorithm-assisted decision making in child maltreatment hotline screening decisions" (PMLR 81:134-148): Allegheny Family Screening Tool fairness audit; racial and ethnic bias concerns in predictive risk scoring; mandatory human override requirement; required curriculum case study in MSW child welfare concentrations](https://proceedings.mlr.press/v81/chouldechova18a.html), accessed 2026-06-22
- [Mursion — AI-powered simulation platform for social work client interaction skills training; VCU, CSU Long Beach, USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck documented use for pre-practicum skills practice; CSWE APM 2024 panel on AI simulation in social work education](https://www.mursion.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eleos Health — AI ambient clinical documentation for behavioral health settings; becoming standard curriculum component in MSW clinical sequences; "Documentation AI is the single most requested training topic from field supervisors" (Social Work Today, March 2025)](https://eleos.health/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science 384:1306-1308): LLM labor exposure framework; social work postsec teachers at moderate β-exposure; framework does not capture CSWE accreditation governance, AI ethics curriculum authority, or field practicum supervision obligations](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Gradescope (Turnitin) — AI-assisted grading and answer groups; deployed at 25+ R1 and regional universities; batch-grading for structured short-answer assessments; paired with Turnitin for AI writing detection](https://www.turnitin.com/products/gradescope/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.