Social Worker Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Social workers in Tucson are hired mostly by hospitals and the VA: Tucson Medical Center, Carondelet St. Mary's and the Southern Arizona VA all recruit MSW-level staff, and VA social workers start around $70,600 a year. Current openings are below, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current Social Worker Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Social Worker Work in Tucson
Most social work jobs here sit inside health care. Tucson Medical Center on Grant Road in midtown staffs social worker care coordinators in its emergency department and runs its own hospice program, Carondelet St. Mary's on the west side pairs social workers with case management, and the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System on South Sixth Avenue hires for its main medical center and its Northwest outpatient clinic. Discharge planning, hospice care and benefits paperwork are the core of the work.
Bilingual skills open doors here. Suvida Healthcare, which runs primary care centers for Latino seniors, recruits bilingual medical social workers to handle Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP applications, and TMC and Carondelet both build social work into their case management teams.
Top Tucson Employers Hiring Social Workers
These Tucson employers have posted social worker jobs on their own careers sites:
- Tucson Medical Center - social worker care coordinators for the emergency department and observation unit, per diem staff, and hospice social workers.
- Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital - Social Worker II roles in case management, MSW required.
- Southern Arizona VA Health Care System - GS-9 to GS-11 social workers and GS-12 supervisors at the Tucson VA Medical Center and the Northwest clinic.
- Suvida Healthcare - bilingual medical social workers coordinating care and benefits for Latino seniors.
Social Worker Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (BSW or new MSW): roughly $21 to $26 an hour.
- Experienced (LMSW, hospital or medical): roughly $26 to $34 an hour.
- Senior (LCSW, VA or supervisory): roughly $70,000 to $111,000 a year, and up to about $133,000 for VA supervisors.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. Health care pays the most: Tucson's healthcare social workers earned a median of $27.25 an hour in the latest detailed federal survey, against about $21.71 for child, family and school social workers. The VA posts its GS-9 to GS-11 range at $70,654 to $111,137 a year, and an LCSW is the license that unlocks most senior and clinical pay.
How to Become a Social Worker in Tucson
Arizona licenses social workers through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners at three levels: LBSW with a CSWE-accredited bachelor's degree, LMSW with a CSWE-accredited master's, and LCSW after the MSW plus 24 months of supervised clinical practice, 1,600 hours of direct client contact and 100 hours of clinical supervision. Each level requires passing a board-approved exam. Locally, ASU's School of Social Work runs an in-person MSW and a transfer BSW at its Tucson location on North Commerce Park Loop, and Pima Community College's West Campus offers a Social Services certificate and AAS with a 135-hour field placement that can lead into a bachelor's program.
What the Job Involves
A hospital social worker meets patients and families at admission or in the emergency department, assesses what they need to go home safely, and lines up rehab placement, home health, equipment, transportation or hospice. The day includes benefits applications, advance directives, calls with insurers and community agencies, crisis intervention when abuse or neglect is suspected, and careful documentation in the medical record.
Skills Employers Look For
- An MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, with LMSW or LCSW for clinical roles
- Discharge planning and knowledge of Medicare, Medicaid (AHCCCS) and long-term care
- Crisis intervention and assessment for abuse, neglect and mental health needs
- Spanish fluency, which some Tucson employers require
- Electronic health record documentation
- BLS or CPR certification for hospital roles
Career Path and Advancement
The usual Tucson ladder starts with a BSW job or a per diem hospital role, moves to an MSW care coordinator or medical social worker position, then to LCSW status about two years after the master's. From there, social workers step into supervisory roles like the VA's GS-12 posts, hospice and case management leadership, or private clinical practice.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest alternatives for social workers:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a social worker in Arizona?
Arizona licenses social workers through the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners at the LBSW, LMSW and LCSW levels. Many hospital and VA jobs require a license or ask you to earn one within a set time, and independent clinical work requires the LCSW.
How long does it take to become an LCSW in Arizona?
Plan on about eight years: a bachelor's degree, a master's in social work, then at least 24 months of supervised post-master's clinical practice with 1,600 hours of direct client contact before the license.
How much do social workers make in Tucson?
Entry jobs run roughly $21 to $26 an hour, hospital social workers with an LMSW roughly $26 to $34, and VA social workers $70,654 to $111,137 a year at GS-9 to GS-11. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
Where can I study social work in Tucson?
ASU's School of Social Work has a Tucson location on North Commerce Park Loop with an in-person MSW and a BSW for transfer students. Pima Community College's West Campus offers a Social Services certificate and AAS with a 135-hour supervised field placement.
Which Tucson employers hire the most social workers?
Hospitals and the VA post most often: Tucson Medical Center, Carondelet St. Mary's and the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. Suvida Healthcare adds bilingual medical social work roles, so it pays to set alerts across several employers.
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