How Much Social Workers Make? Learn About Social Work Pathways and Earning Power
Written by Rebecca Munday
Last Updated: June 2023
Social workers provide vital services to individuals, families, and communities. But finding out how much social workers earn may be challenging. They can have various titles and specialties, not to mention different levels of licensure — all of which can significantly influence salaries.
In this guide, we’ll help you navigate these numbers by breaking down salary data by education, experience, and location. Learn how much you can make as a social worker and the best ways to increase your earning potential.
Social Work Salaries: An Overview
The median salary for social workers is $50,390 per year, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This figure comes out to about $24 an hour.
The social work specialty you choose affects your salary potential. Healthcare social workers make a median salary of $60,840, according to the BLS. Mental health and substance misuse workers earn a median salary of $49,130, about $10,000 less than healthcare social workers.
Experience, education, work setting, and cost of living affect your salary as a social worker.
| 10th Percentile | Median Salary (50th Percentile) | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| $36,520 | $50,390 | $82,840 |
Source: BLS
How Education Affects Social Work Salaries
You may start your career as a case manager or care coordinator after you get your bachelors in social work (BSW). Yet, a master’s degree in social work (MSW) opens you to opportunities with increased responsibility, leadership opportunities, and pay. Some of these opportunities include:
- Teaching at the postsecondary level
- Practicing clinical social work
- Supervising other social workers
- Opening your own practice
With a Ph.D. or doctor of social work, you can earn $20,000-$25,000 more annually than with an MSW, according to the National Association of Social Workers.
How Experience Affects Social Work Salaries
As with most professions, the more experience you have as a social worker, the higher your potential earnings. According to Payscale, social workers with 5-9 years of experience reported annual salaries of $9,000 more than entry-level social workers.
Licensed clinical social workers make an average annual salary of $62,600. This annual salary is nearly $11,990 more than the average annual salary of generalist social workers.
Experience helps increase your pay as a social worker. Average salaries for social workers increase by about $15,000-$20,000 throughout their careers.
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Highest Paying Careers in Social Work
You can make $50,000 or more in average annual salary with a BSW in social work, but most of the highest-paying careers require or recommend an MSW. Advancement in some of these careers requires a clinical license and the ability to supervise other social workers.
| Career | Average Annual Salary | Degree Required |
|---|---|---|
| Professor of Social Work | $89,830 | MSW |
| Social Work Supervisor | $63,800 | MSW |
| Clinical Social Work | $62,600 | MSW |
| Healthcare Social Worker | $59,310 | BSW, MSW recommended |
| Hospice Social Worker | $56,950 | MSW |
| School Social Worker | $51,060 | BSW |
| Care Coordinator | $49,730 | BSW |
| Bereavement Coordinator | $48,780 | MSW |
| Case Manager | $44,760 | BSW recommended |
| Generalist Social Work | $43,400 | BSW, MSW recommended |
| Substance Misuse Counselor | $43,360 | MSW |
Source: Payscale, May 2023
Where Do Social Workers Make the Most Money?
Your work location and setting can significantly impact your salary. States and metropolitan areas with higher costs of living often pay social workers more than average. Healthcare social workers typically make more money than social workers in other industries. Social workers can make higher than average salaries if they work for these employers:
- Federal, state, and local governments
- Hospitals
- Home health services
- Offices of physicians
- Schools
Top Paying States for Social Workers
Most states that pay social workers higher than average salaries have high living costs. For example, Connecticut pays higher than average salaries for social workers in a variety of fields, and they have the eighth highest cost of living in the country.
| 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 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | |
| California | $88,380 |
| Oregon | $77,150 |
| Rhode Island | $74,110 |
| Connecticut | $73,720 |
| Hawaii | $72,660 |
| 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 |
| All Other Social Workers | |
| Rhode Island | $84,430 |
| Washington | $82,220 |
| Oklahoma | $80,410 |
| Washington D.C. | $79,520 |
| Kansas | $78,610 |
Source: BLS
Top-Paying Metropolitan Areas for Social Workers
Most of the top-paying metropolitan areas for social workers are in California or other states with higher costs of living, including Connecticut and Washington.
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $80,390 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 76,200 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | $75,540 |
| Trenton, NJ | $74,560 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $73,910 |
| Healthcare Social Workers | |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $109,530 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $104,200 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $103,180 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $103,130 |
| Yuba City, CA | $99,910 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | |
| Napa, CA | $105,020 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | $98,390 |
| Madera, CA | $95,060 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $93,480 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $92,810 |
| All Other Social Workers | |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $88,680 |
| New Haven, CT | $86,060 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $84,950 |
| Lebanon, PA | $83,930 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $83,130 |
Source: BLS, May 2021
4 Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Social Worker
You can boost your salary as a social worker by increasing your education or scope of practice with a license. Changing your location, practice setting, or specialty may also earn you more money.
1. Earn an Advanced Degree
If you earn an MSW, you’ll open yourself up to higher-paying opportunities working in clinical social work, teaching at the postsecondary level, and supervising other social workers. An MSW allows you to become a licensed graduate social worker (LGSW) and licensed master social worker (LMSW), giving you more responsibility and autonomy in your career.
2. Become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
As an LCSW, you can open an independent practice and practice without supervision. Clinical social workers diagnose, assess, and treat clients. This opens new opportunities in healthcare, medical, substance misuse, and mental health social work that usually come with better pay.
3. Change Location or Practice Setting
You can earn more money if you move or change your practice setting. States and metropolitan areas with higher costs of living, such as Washington or Connecticut, pay social workers higher-than-average salaries. Local governments, excluding hospitals and schools, pay social workers a median annual salary of $61,190, according to the BLS. This is about $15,000 higher than the median annual salary for social workers in individual and family services.
4. Choose a High Demand Specialty
BLS projects 11% job growth for healthcare social workers and mental health and substance misuse social workers between 2021-2031, which is faster than average. These fields grow as the population ages and more people seek treatment for mental health and substance use. Healthcare and clinical social workers typically earn higher salaries than other social work specialties.
Frequently Asked Questions about Social Worker Salaries
What are the highest-paying jobs in social work?
Some of the highest-paying jobs in social work include professor of social work, social work supervisor, licensed clinical social worker, and healthcare social worker. Your employer may also pay you more if you have an MSW, doctoral degree, or prior work experience.
Which social worker field pays the most?
Clinical and healthcare social workers earn one of the highest annual average salaries. According to Payscale, these social workers earn an average of about $60,000 annually.
How does a social worker’s salary compare to a counselor’s salary?
The median annual pay for social workers is slightly higher than a counselor’s median annual salary. Social workers earn a median salary of $50,390, but counselors earn a median salary of $48,520, according to BLS data.
How Much Money Can You Make With an MSW?
Social workers with a master’s degree in social work make an average salary of $57,000 annually, according to Payscale.
