Social worker earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level social worker earnings begin at:

$57.90 per hour

$120,430 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level social worker earnings begin at:

$54.69 per hour

$113,760 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level social worker earnings begin at:

$49.86 per hour

$103,710 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level social worker earnings begin at:

$33.27 per hour

$69,200 per year

10th percentile

Starting level social worker earnings begin at:

$20.50 per hour

$42,640 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Social worker salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Missouri $98,740
District of Columbia $96,380
South Carolina $96,350
Alabama $94,270
South Dakota $93,760
Delaware $93,250
Virginia $92,930
Mississippi $91,560
Iowa $91,170
New Mexico $90,820
Idaho $88,610
Kentucky $85,160
Indiana $84,570
Texas $84,240
New York $84,010
North Dakota $81,330
Minnesota $79,790
Georgia $78,260
New Jersey $76,640
Nebraska $76,520
Maryland $75,600
Pennsylvania $74,430
Vermont $73,070
Louisiana $69,230
Connecticut $69,080
Wyoming $69,020
Oregon $67,820
Utah $66,440
Illinois $64,030
North Carolina $63,490
California $63,010
Wisconsin $62,830
West Virginia $62,590
Arizona $62,150
Michigan $62,140
Colorado $61,610
Alaska $61,220
Maine $60,280
Ohio $59,780
Florida $58,550
Montana $51,650
Tennessee $51,460
Arkansas $47,790
Kansas $43,348
Guam $38,770
Puerto Rico $27,420
Nevada $121,830
Hawaii $116,130
Rhode Island $111,590
New Hampshire $103,710
Washington $102,520
Oklahoma $101,860
Massachusetts $101,280

How much does a Social Worker earn?

Social worker salaries can vary widely depending on several factors, including specialization, state, and qualifications. Qualifications can range from the number of years spent as a social worker, whether or not an individual has a Masters of Social Work and what types of special certifications one might hold. According to PayScale, social workers with only a bachelor’s degree earn $25,000 to $48,000 a year. New graduates can expect earnings on the lower end of that scale. A 2009 National Association of Social Workers study shows an average increase of $15,000 annually for social workers who have completed their Master of Social Work versus those who have simply completed an undergraduate degree.

  • Child, family and school social workers handle the needs of children and families. Social workers in this category earned an average of $3,700 per month as of May 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Healthcare social workers provide support to individuals and families with chronic or terminal illnesses. Healthcare social workers earned approximately $4,208 per month.

  • Mental health and substance abuse social workers treat those with mental, emotional or addiction problems such as alcoholism or drug abuse. Mental health and substance abuse social workers earned $3,554 per month.

The highest-earning states for social work vary depending on specialty, but, in general, include Connecticut, New Jersey, California, District of Columbia, and Rhode Island.

How do social worker salaries compare to similar careers?

Social workers earn about the same as related careers in New Hampshire. On average, they make less than detectives but more than recruiters.

Career Median Salary
Detective salary $89K
Mail superintendent salary $93K
Social worker salary $104K
Energy auditor salary $84K
Insurance sales agent salary $74K
Healthcare social worker salary $78K
Recruiter salary $71K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)