Written by Rebecca Munday
Last Updated: July 2023
Social workers fill a critical role in helping individuals and communities navigate difficult situations. If you want to pursue these roles, you'll likely wonder about average salaries and how your degree, location, specialty, and role can affect your pay. Use this guide to explore average salaries based on social work degree, job title, and specialty to make informed decisions about the type of social work for you.
Average Social Worker Salary
As of May 2022, social workers made an average of $59,440 per year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This annual salary comes out to more than $28 per hour for social workers across all specialties. Social workers' salaries have increased by 15% since 2017, when these professionals made an average of $51,630 per year.
- Average Annual Social Worker Salary: $59,440
- Average Hourly Social Worker Salary: $28.58
- Social Worker Salary Range: $36,600 (10th percentile) – $87,300 (90th percentile)
Source: BLS, 2022
The average salary for social workers is 4% lower than the national average salary for all occupations. However, they earn more than other social service occupations, such as:
- Social and human service assistants
- Community health workers
- Counselors for substance misuse, mental health, and behavioral conditions
Featured Online Social Work Programs
The Highest-Paying Social Worker Jobs
Most of the highest-paying opportunities occur within healthcare, management, government, or social work education. Six of the top 10 roles that pay social workers more than average are in these specialties. About half of the highest-paying roles require you to supervise other social workers, hold a clinical social worker license, or both.
| Occupation | Average Annual Salary | Average Hourly Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Affairs Social Worker | $80,440 | $38.67 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $79,310 | $38.13 |
| Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | $75,330 | N/A |
| Social Workers, All Other | $64,360 | $30.94 |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) | $63,810 | $34.38 |
| Policy Analyst | $63,570 | $25.73 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $62,760 | $30.17 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $60,130 | $28.91 |
| Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) | $57,000 | $27.59 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $56,680 | $27.25 |
Source: BLS, 2022, Payscale, June 2023, and FederalPay.org, 2019
Social Worker Salaries by Degree
The average salary for these professionals depends on social work degree level. An associate in social work (ASW) or bachelor of social work (BSW) degree qualifies you for entry-level positions with lower salaries than the mid-level and senior-level positions that require an advanced social work degree. Professionals with ASWs and BSWs earn average incomes of $3,000-$18,000 per year less than MSW graduates, respectively. Note that some of the figures in this section refer to data with fewer than 50 respondents.
You may make more money as a social worker if you have a master's or doctoral degree in social work. These social work degrees qualify you to become a licensed master social worker (LMSW), practice social work independently, and work toward your clinical license. You may earn about $20,000 more per year with a doctoral degree because a doctorate qualifies you for leadership, education, and research positions.
The Highest-Paying States for Social Workers
BLS does not have data on the highest-paying states for all social workers, but they track the highest-paying salaries for social workers by specialty. States that pay social workers higher than average salaries usually have higher costs of living. The states with the highest salaries for social workers have cost of living indexes 13-48% higher than the national average cost of living.
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $76,783 |
| California | $76,493 |
| Connecticut | $74,540 |
| Washington, D.C. | $74,163 |
| New York | $72,343 |
Source: BLS, 2022
The Highest-Paying States for Child, Family, and School Social Workers
- New Jersey: $75,590
- Connecticut: $71,970
- New York: $70,690
- Washington, D.C.: $69,980
- Maryland: $66,850
The Highest-Paying States for Healthcare Social Workers
- California: $88,380
- Oregon: $77,150
- Rhode Island: $74,110
- Connecticut: $73,720
- Hawaii: $72,660
The Highest-Paying States for Healthcare Social Workers
- California: $81,720
- Oregon: $54,370
- Rhode Island: $61,460
- Connecticut: $79,080
- Hawaii: $65,270
The Highest-Paying States for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
- New Jersey: $92,850
- California: $81,720
- New York: $79,700
- Connecticut: $79,080
- Washington, D.C: $72,990
Frequently Asked Questions About Social Work Degrees
Are social workers in high demand?
The BLS projects a 9% job growth for social workers in all specialties from 2021-2031, along with an 11% job growth rate for social workers in mental health, healthcare, and substance misuse. These specialties may experience increased job growth due to an aging population and more people seeking treatment for mental health and substance misuse conditions.
What is the highest-paying type of social worker?
Social workers in local government make the highest median salary among all social workers. They earn a median salary of about $30 per hour or about $62,000 annually, according to BLS data from May 2022. You can make more than this average salary if you practice clinical social work or work in healthcare for local government agencies.
What is the salary range for social workers?
BLS data as of May 2022 indicates that the salary range for social workers is $36,600-$87,300 per year. Social workers in the lowest percentile make over $17 per hour, and the highest-paid social workers make almost $42 hourly.
Is becoming a social worker worth it?
Becoming a social worker can be worth it if you want a career that allows you to help people improve their circumstances. Before pursuing the field, consider how much time you'll spend in school, tuition and fees, your ideal specialty, and available salaries.