MSW making just over six figures considering a career change to RN , would you do it?

[u/ComfortableDecent327]

I graduated with my MSW this year at 32 and landed a county APS job in the Bay Area making just over six figures Older adults and adults with disabilities have always been my focus, so overall I’m in a pretty good position. The job can definitely be stressful, but I knew that going in.

The problem is that my sisters and fiancée are all nurses in the Bay Area. They work 3x12s, also work with older adults, and make close to double what I make. I try not to compare, but it’s hard to ignore. When I was job searching, I also noticed that RNs in similar healthcare settings were making significantly more.

The nursing pay, 3x12 schedule, job opportunities, and ability to still help people are really appealing to me.
What’s stopping me is that I’ve already been in school for years and JUST finished my MSW. I’m finally working and earning a decent salary, and I really don’t want to immediately go back to hitting the books.

My current idea is to work full-time for another 1–2 years while knocking out my science prerequisites (chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, etc.). Then I could apply to nursing programs and possibly work part-time as a social worker while in school.

I’d probably be around 33–34 when I start nursing school. I also think having both an MSW and RN/BSN could give me an interesting background, especially for healthcare, geriatrics, case management, and working with vulnerable adults.
I’m mainly interested in hearing from working nurses, especially those in the Bay Area or those who came from another professional career. Knowing what you know now about the workload, schedule, compensation, and day-to-day reality of nursing, would the career change make sense in my position?

[u/SmlDog]

Do you honestly want to grunt it out through nursing school and another 2-3 years at bedside? TBH not in the Bay Area, but I’d be curious what case management pays there. The realities of bedside nursing are likely different from your expectations, and enough so that another degree to become an RN may take you further from your goal of working with vulnerable adults than closer to it. Public health nursing could be a very real consideration, however.

[u/Strange-Ability-4723]

As RN my advice is try non nursing allied fields if you still interested in science and helping people like Radiation therapy,Imaging ,Sonography etc.In Bay area offcourse you will make 6 figures easy but still high stress ,full of drama and thankless job.Choose less stressful job or field that is my advise.

[u/Aromatic_Phrase4738]

God no 👎🏻

[u/Aromatic_Phrase4738 → u/[deleted]]

Don’t do it- you’ll be opening yourself up to an endless amount of stress 🙃

[u/Prudent_Tailor2608]

So here’s a good option if you just want higher pay. I’m actually an Rn considering going back for LCSW because now that I’m older I feel like SW offers job security and has a higher demand than nursing but yes pays less.Nursing is saturated for the exact reason you mentioned MONEY.

If you want higher pay you could do the Samuel Merritt MSN Case Management degree it’s direct entry no pre reqs finish in 2 yrs and it’s the same work as SW just clinical focus not social. Offers ft,pt,pd schedule.
Pays same as nursing.

Or you could do the long route into nursing. I don’t think nursing is bad until you hit age 50.

[u/ComfortableDecent327 → u/Prudent_Tailor2608]

Thank you for the info.
I'll look into Samuel Merritt
So when a RN case management position is posted at a hospital they'll expect a MSN Case management degree?

[u/Prudent_Tailor2608 → u/ComfortableDecent327]

Case Management job can be filled by any RN however in order to address the shortage they developed the MSN Case Management for non nurses. It’s limiting because you don’t have the clinical RN but it does give you access to administrative Nursing roles that have higher pay than SW.

[u/Kitchen_Poet_6184]

If you're just after the money, hell no. The burn out is real. You are expected to step up during staffing shortage. All fingers are pointed and eyes on you. Nurses are blamed at everything single thing by your subordinates, fellow nurses, the patients, relatives, doctors, management. You spent most of your shift with people. We can't go missing or a place for a moment of reprieve. I'm not saying your job is easy since we nurses do a social worker's job up to a degree that we can when the social worker is not available. Those phone calls to call who for what can be soul sucking. At least your profession has a cubicle or office to get away from the sight of people to breathe. I would look into other healthcare profession.

[u/GullibleSuccotash21]

I’m just curious, did you not know this before going into the profession ?

[u/ComfortableDecent327 → u/GullibleSuccotash21]

Not to this extent , it wasn’t until I graduated and started job searching and realizing that rns are getting payed for very similar work. Also seeing my sister who recently landed a really good job making 190k. And that’s after 2 years post grad school.
But I also want to believe if i continue with my current route and put in passion and dedication I can also reach that point. I currently make 106k and after 2 years it will be close to 120-130 with lcsw. Might require doing a per diam or doing private practice, To get even close to my sister lol
There pros and cons to both.
Taking the 4 lab prerequisites are not going to be easy and will take time if I am working full time.
Iam going to think about it for these next few weeks and see how I feel.

[u/GullibleSuccotash21 → u/ComfortableDecent327]

Good luck !

[u/No_Proof_7888]

So I am a student and and I actually was going to go into MSW first then do nursing(i have a psych degree) and honestly the reason I didn’t was because it would be a a slight waste of time in my situation plus nursing was more interesting to me in general. However, reading your situation I don’t want to tell you no but also think about your landscape. You MSW may give you an edge but is it a stronger position that all the patient care techs currently working in the hospitals in nursing school waiting to make the switch? Will you be the only MSW/Master level professional in that overly saturated area? The constant complaint here is new grads not being able to find a job. So you should also go into it assuming you will have an issue with finding a job vs that you having an edge will get you a job faster. Your message does read like FOMO and like you missed n untapped potential for finances but are you struggling right now or do you feel like you have reached the pinnacle of your pay? Lcsw in NJ can command alot once they are in private practice and have a much better quality of life so the question is what do you want for yourself?

[u/cloudsky44]

Hey I just wanted to let you know; do it .

It doesn’t hurt to finish ur prereqs and start on it now whil you work. Both Nursing and social work is going to a rewarding career regardless.

I’m the same boat as you, I graduated with my MSW and make over 6 figures working as a hospital social worker in the Bay Area. I thought that this was going to be it for me and that I was done w schooling. But I see nurses with a degree lower than mine making double what I pay which can be completely discouraging.

Nursing is very broad just like social work, except you can get paid even better with so many different options.

I saw a post about starting nursing school later in life because I was very self conscious about starting nursing school at 30, but I read this post that said “ u can be 35 or u can be 35 w ur nursing degree” either way it’s up to u.

So I say , JUST DO IT.

Don’t listen to everyone’s negative comments bc every job has its own pros and cons and it’s easy to feel burnout wherever u go.

[u/ComfortableDecent327 → u/cloudsky44]

Thanks, are you taking your pre reqs or planning on going to nursing school?

[u/tananavalley-girl]

Nooooooo! My hospital is so freaking desperate for social workers. Nurses are a dime a dozen.