social work salaries – how much do social workers make?

when choosing a career, money isn’t the only factor. but it’s important to go into a field with your eyes open regarding average and potential salaries. how much do social workers make?

social worker salaries range significantly depending on your level of education, position, industry and location. if you are contemplating a career in social work, you should research salary prospects in your area or in locations you are willing to move to. also, consider your earning potential if you earn a master of social work (msw) degree.

social worker salary outlook

the annual median salary for social workers was $51,760 in may 2020, according to data from the bureau of labor statistics (bls). this is not an average salary; the median is the midpoint of a distribution of salaries. the lowest-earning 10% of social workers made less than $33,020 per year in 2020, according to the bls. the highest 10% of earners made more than $85,820 annually that year. social worker salaries can vary based on factors like different social work careers, education and experience.

social worker salaries can depend on degree

different social work careers can lead to different salaries, but they also may have additional requirements. a bsw may prepare graduates for entry-level positions whereas clinical social workers are typically required to hold a master’s degree. how much you can make with a bsw, therefore, may be different than a clinical social worker salary. 

across industries, workers with master’s degrees earned $240 more per week than those with bachelor’s degrees in 2020 (weekly earnings of $1,545 vs $1,305), according to the bls. according to a 2018 study by the national association of social workers (nasw) (pdf, 3.1mb), 56% of working bsw graduates had an annual income between $30,000 and $39,999. the same report found that the median income for msw graduates was $42,500. 

a higher degree may allow you to earn more as a social worker, though several factors influence a social worker’s income. 

bsw salary

when it comes to bsw salaries, it can be hard to know what’s average. according to the nasw 2018 study, the majority of respondents who held a bachelor’s degree in social work expected to earn between $30,000 and $39,999 in 2018. however, 60% of respondents were already enrolled in msw programs. 

msw salary

graduates with msws have a wider range of employment opportunities since most states require social workers to be licensed, and some require license holders to have master’s degrees. clinical social workers are licensed to diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional disorders. these social workers, sometimes called licensed clinical social workers (lcsws), are required to have a master’s degree in social work

like other fields, clinical social worker salaries vary based on a variety of factors including employment sector, experience and location, but earning an msw may open the door to lcsw salaries. 

social work wage differences by location

social worker salaries also vary by state. a healthcare social worker, for example, earned an annual mean salary of $71,850 in connecticut while someone in the same position earned $83,000 in california, one of the highest-paying states for healthcare social workers, according to may 2020 bls data.

a boost in compensation in the highest-paying states or metropolitan areas may be appealing, but it’s important to consider opportunities for growth, career outlook and cost of living in those areas when deciding where to work. 

below is a closer look at the highest-paying states for four categories of social workers: child, family and school social workers, mental health and substance abuse social workers, healthcare social workers and all other types. all salary values represent mean (or average) salaries at the state level.

child, family and school social worker salaries by state

the highest-paying states for child, family and school social workers, based on average salaries in 2020, were:

  • district of columbia (d.c.): $71,840
  • new jersey: $71,110
  • connecticut: $68,230
  • rhode island: $65,430
  • new york: $63,740

salaries vary based on the specific location within a state, too. four of the 10 top-paying metropolitan areas for child, family and school social workers were in connecticut. another two were in the new york-new jersey area. other top-paying metropolitan areas were washington-arlington-alexandria in virginia, visalia-porterville in california, bismarck, north dakota, and portland-south portland, maine. 

the top-paying non-metropolitan area was connecticut, with an average annual salary of $74,460, followed by southeast central idaho, northwest colorado, south illinois and alaska. 

salary information below was retrieved from the occupational employment and wages for child, family and school social workers from the bls as of march 2022.

child, family and school social worker salaries and jobs

top paying statessalaryjobs
district of columbia
$71,840
2,120 jobs
new jersey
$71,110
4,720 jobs
connecticut
$68,230
5,650 jobs
rhode island
$65,430
1,800 jobs
new york
$63,740
25,840 jobs
highest employment levelssalaryjobs
california
$58,450
38,750 jobs
new york
$63,740
25,840 jobs
pennsylvania
$46,110
20,660 jobs
texas
$50,390
20,470 jobs
illinois
$58,080
15,780 jobs

mental health and substance abuse social worker salaries by state

according to the bls, the highest-paying states for mental health and substance abuse social workers in 2020 were:

  • new jersey: $91,070
  • district of columbia: $73,490
  • california: $73,150
  • connecticut: $66,500
  • rhode island: $65,430

the top-paying metropolitan areas for mental health social workers included eight locations in california. the other two highest-paying metropolitan areas were watertown-fort drum in new york and bridgeport-stamford-norwalk in connecticut. 

the five top-paying non-metropolitan areas were alaska, hawaii/kauai, southeast minnesota, the eastern sierra-mother lode region of california and south illinois. 

salary information below was retrieved from the occupational employment and wages for mental health and substance abuse social workers from the bls as of march 2022.

mental health and substance abuse social worker salaries and jobs

the five top-paying non-metropolitan areas were nevada, central new hampshire, connecticut, northwest minnesota and south nebraska.

mental health and substance abuse social worker salaries and jobs

top paying statessalaryjobs
new jersey
$91,070
1,610 jobs
district of columbia
$73,490
640 jobs
california
$73,150
16,920 jobs
connecticut
$66,500
1,620 jobs
rhode island
$65,430
480 jobs
highest employment levelssalaryjobs
california
$73,150
16,920 jobs
new york
$64,750
11,020 jobs
pennsylvania
$39,510
7,920 jobs
ohio
$47,830
7,090 jobs
massachusetts
$49,270
6,920 jobs

healthcare social worker salaries by state

the bls reported that the five highest-paying states for healthcare social workers as of may 2020 were:

  • california: $83,000
  • district of columbia: $76,100
  • oregon: $75,730
  • hawaii: $73,410
  • connecticut: $71,850

eight of the top-paying metropolitan areas were in california. the highest-paying metro area was san francisco-oakland-hayward, california, with an annual mean wage of $100,410. other top-paying metropolitan areas were salem, oregon, and laredo, texas.

the best-paying non-metropolitan areas for healthcare social workers were massachusetts, west central-southwest new hampshire, hawaii/kauai, connecticut and central oregon. 

salary information below was retrieved from the occupational employment and wages for healthcare social workers from the bls as of march 2022.

healthcare social worker salaries and jobs

top paying statessalaryjobs
california
$83,000
17,140 jobs
district of columbia
$76,100
400 jobs
oregon
$75,730
1,800 jobs
hawaii
$73,410
630 jobs
connecticut
$71,850
2,080 jobs
highest employment levelssalaryjobs
new york
$61,510
18,290 jobs
california
$83,000
17,140 jobs
texas
$59,790
11,150 jobs
massachusetts
$62,640
10,540 jobs
florida
$54,250
10,200 jobs

as the numbers above illustrate, employment levels and salaries vary quite a bit across states.

prospective msw students should also note that the salary estimates above do not distinguish between entry-level and more advanced roles. additionally, these estimates are not just for licensed clinical social worker (lcsw) salaries and msw graduate salaries, but they also incorporate the wages of social workers who only hold a bsw.

all other salaries by geographic area

according to the bls, the highest-paying states for all other social workers as of may 2020 were:

  • hawaii: $85,740
  • massachusetts: $84,540
  • nevada: $82,410
  • rhode island: $79,720
  • virginia: $77,060

the top-paying metropolitan areas for all other types of social workers varied, with areas of california, connecticut and massachusetts each claiming two of the top 10 spots. the highest-paying metropolitan area was san jose-sunnyvale-santa clara in california, with an annual average wage of $99,810.

the best-paying non-metropolitan areas were central louisiana, northeast oklahoma, south illinois, southeast alabama and southeast missouri. 

salaries for social workers may vary by industry

social worker salaries also vary depending on the industry or sector of your social work career. additionally, prospective msw students should note that the highest-paying industries for social workers might not be the industries with the most available jobs. for example, consider the variance between the national annual mean wages of healthcare social workers in the top-paying industries for their profession versus the salaries of healthcare social workers in the industries with the highest employment levels.

the bls reported that the 2020 median annual salaries for social workers in the top industries were:

  • local government, excluding education and hospitals: $57,660
  • ambulatory healthcare services: $52,850
  • state government, excluding education and hospitals: $49,860
  • individual and family services: $43,820

child, family and school social worker salaries and jobs

top-paying industriessalaryjobs
business, professional, labor, political and similar organizations
$78,280
estimate not released
junior colleges
$66,380
550 jobs
elementary and secondary schools
$65,080
45,960 jobs
continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly
$62,940
160 jobs
specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals
$61,820
180 jobs
highest employment levelssalaryjobs
individual and family services
$45,360
84,350 jobs
state government, excluding schools and hospitals (oews designation)
$52,000
69,950 jobs
local government, excluding schools and hospitals (oews designation)
$58,350
62,000 jobs
elementary and secondary schools
$65,080
45,960 jobs
community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services
$41,740
9,620 jobs

salary information above was retrieved from the occupational employment and wages for child, family and school social workers from the bls as of march 2022.

mental health and substance abuse social worker salaries and jobs

top-paying industriessalaryjobs
insurance carriers
$71,460
380 jobs
other ambulatory healthcare services
$71,030
140 jobs
specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals
$70,240
190 jobs
general medical and surgical hospitals
$65,530
6,020 jobs
offices of other health practitioners
$65,040
7,260 jobs
highest employment levelssalaryjobs
outpatient care centers
$54,380
27,790 jobs
individual and family services
$48,550
16,320 jobs
local government, excluding schools and hospitals (oews designation)
$60,790
14,220 jobs
residential intellectual and developmental disability, mental health and substance abuse facilities
$41,300
12,420 jobs
psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals
$57,840
9,890 jobs

salary information above was retrieved from the occupational employment and wages for mental health and substance abuse social workers from the bls as of march 2022.

healthcare social worker salaries and jobs

top-paying industriessalaryjobs
computer systems design and related services
$75,370
30 jobs
business, professional, labor, political and similar organizations
$71,330
260 jobs
junior colleges
$69,080
80 jobs
specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals
$67,530
2,250 jobs
scientific research and development services
$66,900
130 jobs
highest employment levelssalaryjobs
general medical and surgical hospitals
$66,630
47,590 jobs
individual and family services
$50,460
23,060 jobs
home healthcare services
$63,590
20,740 jobs
outpatient care centers
$62,660
13,730 jobs
nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)
$56,640
13,680 jobs

salary information above was retrieved from the occupational employment and wages for healthcare social workers from the bls as of march 2022.

other factors that could affect pay

several factors may also affect a social worker’s salary, including:

licensure: there are several types of social worker licenses. the association of social work boards, which administers exams in every state, offers five categories of social work licensure: associate, bachelor’s, master’s, advanced generalist and clinical. you can obtain professional social work credentials or advanced practice specialty credentials through the national association of social workers to showcase your knowledge and experience. your license and credentials influence the type of position you can hold—as determined by the state licensing board—and your potential salary.

experience: typically, salaries increase during your career. a social worker with 15 years of experience might command a higher salary than a social worker starting their career. however, other factors greatly affect this. a social worker with fewer years of experience might make more in a popular metropolitan area than a social worker with greater experience in a low-paying rural area.

hours: social worker salaries may vary depending on whether you are salaried or hourly and how much you work. full-time social workers typically make more than part-time workers. also, social workers who are paid hourly and often work overtime might earn more annually.

gender: few, if any, professions in the united states have eliminated the gender pay gap. it might be possible for men to negotiate higher salaries as social workers, though this is not necessarily true at a regional or facility level. fully understanding social worker salaries in your area can help you negotiate an appropriate salary no matter your gender.

tips for current and prospective bsw and msw students

due to the variance in the salaries of jobs that msw graduates may qualify for, current and prospective msw students should thoroughly research their desired career options to make sure they prepare both academically and through internships for a job that meets (or at least puts them on the right path toward) their salary goals.

a great place to start is to find an msw online in our full list of programs. here are some other recommendations for potential and current msw students:

  • students should reach out to professionals in the fields that interest them, whether these fields are directly or tangentially related to social work and/or social service. once they have successfully connected with one or more professionals, students should request an informational interview. during the interview, students can ask about the types of graduate degrees that prepare individuals for a given field of work, the typical path toward advancement, the expectations employers in this field have and other questions that can help them optimally prepare while in school.
  • students should research typical salaries for the specific jobs that interest them, using sites such as the bureau of labor statistics, o*net online, salary.com and payscale.com.
  • students may benefit from making an appointment at their school’s career center and talking with a career counselor about their goals. a career counselor can help students map out a plan to achieve their desired profession and can help them evaluate the salary potential of different career paths.
  • students should check to see if the msw programs they are thinking of applying to publish lists of where their graduates work. looking at these lists can help students get a broader idea of where msw graduates can work after they earn their degree.

learn more about becoming a social worker

though there are social work positions that require only a bachelor’s degree and license, many positions and facilities require social workers to hold an msw. earning a master’s degree is a traditional step in becoming a social worker.

earning an msw does not have to be an inconvenience. there are accredited part- and full-time msw programs offered online. it is possible to continue to work while earning your master’s and furthering your career.

last updated in march 2022