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Licensed clinical social worker salary in California

Open licensed clinical social worker jobs in California post a median of $55 an hour, the middle half $50–$61.25 (about $114,400 a year full time), $6.25 above the national posted median. From 30 jobs at 17 employers that state their pay.

$55
Median posted /hr
$50–$61
Middle half /hr
$114,400
A year, full time
estimate, 2,080 hours
$37.98
BLS median in CA
May 2025

The jobs themselves: Licensed clinical social worker jobs in California · Licensed clinical social worker pay nationwide

What licensed clinical social workers are paid in California

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).

Posted hourly rates of 30 open jobs in California. Lowest posted $30.24, highest $83.60.

Posted on open jobs in California

$50–$61.25/hr

Middle half of 29 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $55. 60% of the 50 open licensed clinical social worker jobs in California state an hourly rate.

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Licensed clinical social worker pay by town in California

Towns where at least three open jobs state an hourly rate, the towns with the most such jobs first.

TownMedian postedPosted rangeJobs (employers)
San Francisco$65.50$45–$83.605 (1)
Sacramento$55.75$37.50–$74.704 (2)
San Diego$47.50$36–$61.623 (2)

Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.

Licensed clinical social worker pay by employer in California

What each employer posts for licensed clinical social workers here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.

EmployerMedian postedPosted rangeJobs stating pay
UCSF Health$65.50$45–$83.605
Sutter Health$60.50$47.74–$79.494
Providence$55.50$33.52–$68.213
CommonSpirit Health$49$30.24–$70.383
Emanate Health$53.25$41.58–$66.342
Scripps Health$52$42.51–$61.622
Montage Health$66.25$56.76–$75.921
MarinHealth$58.75$46.92–$70.391
BetterHelp$56.50$43–$701
Colusa Medical Center$55$45–$651
Eisenhower Health$54.25$43.05–$65.401
Community Health Centers of America$50$40–$601
San Antonio Regional Hospital$48.75$41.30–$56.121
Tenet Healthcare$47.25$37.07–$57.461
Riverside Family Physicians$44.50$35.34–$53.561
Valor Healthcare$43$36–$501
Elica Health Centers$39.25$37.50–$411

Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for licensed clinical social workers nationwide when it has such a page.

Jobs that state a yearly salary

Measured on their own, never converted to hourly.

6 open jobs in California state a yearly salary: a median of $104,000, the middle half $93,600 to $119,100.

Best-paid open licensed clinical social worker jobs in California

The open jobs posting the highest hourly rates tonight, at most two from one employer.

What BLS measures in California

What people employed in the occupation earned in the state, at every level of experience, from the BLS survey. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation10th pct25th pctMedian75th pct90th pctEmployed
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (21-1023)$22.33 (source: BLS OEWS, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, opens in a new tab)$27.79 (source: BLS OEWS, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, opens in a new tab)$37.98 (source: BLS OEWS, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, opens in a new tab)$57.14 (source: BLS OEWS, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, opens in a new tab)$70.82 (source: BLS OEWS, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, opens in a new tab)19,860 (source: BLS OEWS, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, opens in a new tab)

BLS median by metro area

Licensed clinical social worker salary in California: common questions

How much does a licensed clinical social worker make in California?

Open licensed clinical social worker jobs in California that state an hourly rate post a median of $55, the middle half $50–$61.25 (30 jobs from 17 employers). Full time that is about $114,400 a year. BLS measured a median of $37.98/hr ($79,000 a year) for people employed in the occupation in California (May 2025).

Where in California do licensed clinical social workers earn the most?

By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: San Francisco ($65.50), Sacramento ($55.75) and San Diego ($47.50). The town table lists 3.

Which employers in California pay licensed clinical social workers the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: UCSF Health ($65.50), Sutter Health ($60.50) and Providence ($55.50).

How does California compare with the rest of the country?

The posted median in California ($55) is $6.25 above the national posted median of $48.75. In the BLS survey California ranks 2 of 52 by median wage.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 30 of 50 open licensed clinical social worker jobs in California (60%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.

Licensed clinical social worker pay in other states

Licensed clinical social worker salary nationwide →Every healthcare salary →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used, a range at its midpoint. In the state's median and middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; a town's median follows the same rule. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates far from the occupation's median are left out. A state has a page while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate there. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours. BLS figures are as published.
  1. CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
  2. BLS OEWS May 2025: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (SOC 21-1023), every state, published May 15, 2026
  3. BLS OEWS May 2025: Healthcare Social Workers (SOC 21-1022), every state, published May 15, 2026
  4. BLS OEWS May 2025: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, national, published May 15, 2026
  5. BLS OEWS May 2025: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers by metropolitan area, published May 15, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Licensed clinical social worker salary in California. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/licensed-clinical-social-worker/california

How the board counts