Social worker salary

Open social worker jobs post a median of $41.50 an hour, with the middle half paying $36.25–$50: about $86,300 a year full time. Measured from 560 jobs at 185 employers that state their pay, read from each employer's own job board.

Median posted /hr

Middle half /hr

A year, full time

estimate, 2,080 hours

BLS median /hr

May 2025

The jobs themselves: Social worker jobs

What social workers are paid

Each bar counts the open jobs posting an hourly rate in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint). The middle half of employers' rates is in the darker color.

Posted hourly rates of 560 open jobs. The chart spans the 2nd to the 98th percentile; the lowest rate posted is $17.05, the highest $130.

Posted on open jobs

$36.25–$50/hr

Middle half of 392 employer rates (each employer's advertised range once), median $41.50. 28% of the 1,981 open social worker jobs state an hourly rate. 28 more state an "up to" ceiling, a weekly travel rate, a per-visit fee, or a rate far from the rest (a differential read as pay), left out.

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Social worker pay by employer

What each employer posts for social workers, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first. An employer with at least 5 such jobs has a page of its own with every range it posts.

Employer	Median posted	Posted range	Jobs stating pay
Kaiser Permanente	$52	$32.16–$75.90	35
Providence	$49.25	$23.84–$75.58	24
CommonSpirit Health	$44.25	$22.51–$71.57	24
UnitedHealth Group	$38	$27.15–$55.05	16
Advocate Health	$38.50	$28.55–$46.05	13
AdventHealth	$34.25	$20.80–$55.55	12
Northwestern Medicine	$41.25	$17.05–$55	11
Boston Medical Center	$39	$34.81–$52.70	11
UW Medicine	$68	$67.93–$68.03	9
Sutter Health	$65	$43.99–$79.49	9
OSF HealthCare	$34.25	$29.30–$37.05	8
UCSF Health	$66	$45–$83.60	7
Luminis Health	$40	$30–$51.25	7
Mary Washington Healthcare	$39	$30.29–$51.10	7
Amedisys	$38	$25–$67	7
Avera Health	$34.75	$25.50–$44	7
UPMC	$33	$22.52–$43.30	7
Sharp HealthCare	$53.25	$36–$67.57	6
MultiCare Health System	$48.25	$33.52–$66.15	6
Richmond University Medical Center	$44	$39.68–$50.88	6
United Health Services (New York)	$38.25	$30.58–$50.45	6
Rochester Regional Health	$30.25	$23.50–$37	6
Catholic Health (Long Island)	$56	$50.08–$56.77	5
HealthTrust Workforce Solutions	$50.75	$37.20–$62.05	5
Trinity Health	$39.50	$30–$48.15	5
Carle Health	$36.50	$27.36–$55.40	5
Riverside Health	$36.25	$25.80–$42.08	5
Holt International Children's Services	$28.50	$27–$30	5
El Camino Health	$66	$56.76–$75.47	4
Scripps Health	$53.25	$42.51–$64.71	4
Access TLC	$52.50	$24–$75	4
Legacy Health	$50.50	$40.06–$61.92	4
Valley Health System (New Jersey)	$45.25	$37.46–$51.62	4
Mount Sinai Health System	$43.75	$19.02–$58.34	4
Beth Israel Lahey Health	$42	$28.90–$54.33	4
Allina Health	$40.50	$31.07–$49.76	4
ChristianaCare	$40.25	$27.86–$49.52	4
Fairview Health Services	$40	$30.74–$52.76	4
Endeavor Health	$38.75	$31.06–$46.59	4
University Health System - San Antonio	$37.75	$26.50–$52	4

Median of each employer's own jobs (a range at its midpoint), and the lowest and highest rate it posts. Jobs stating pay link to the employer's open jobs.

Social worker pay by state

States where at least 8 open jobs from 3 employers state an hourly rate, highest median first. Each opens the state's own page, with its towns and employers.

State	Median posted	Middle half	BLS median	Jobs
California	$53	$47–$60.50	$43.11 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	108
Oregon	$50	$47.50–$52	$40.55 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	11
Washington	$49.50	$45.50–$55	$37.77 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	43
Hawaii	$43.50	$42–$44.75	$41.07 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	10
New Jersey	$42	$36.75–$44.50	$39.76 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	19
Colorado	$41.50	$38.25–$44	$30.52 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	12
New York	$40.25	$33.75–$51	$35.13 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	61
Minnesota	$40.25	$34–$42.50	$35.56 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	17
Maryland	$40	$37–$48.25	$36.75 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	27
Massachusetts	$39.50	$38–$46	$36.75 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	34
Illinois	$38.75	$35.25–$41	$30.90 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	43
Texas	$38.25	$36.25–$42	$33.65 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	14
Virginia	$37.75	$34.25–$41.50	$31.99 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	25
Missouri	$36	$34–$37.50	$28.79 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	10
Wisconsin	$35.25	$29.75–$38.25	$32.17 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	19
Florida	$33.25	$30.25–$36.75	$31.16 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	21
Pennsylvania	$33	$30–$37	$29.76 (source: BLS OEWS, state medians, opens in a new tab)	12

Median and middle half of employers' rates in the state. BLS medians are for the occupation's main SOC code in the state (May 2025).

Social worker jobs that state a yearly salary

Some jobs state a salary for the year instead of an hourly rate. They are measured on their own here, never converted.

292 open jobs from 119 employers state a yearly salary: a median of $80,000, the middle half $70,400 to $88,900, from $34,944 to $163,446 posted.

Social worker specialties

What each specialty posts. A specialty's jobs also count in the social worker figures above.

Best-paid open social worker jobs

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

Licensed Social Worker with ABA Training
ARC Health Partners · New York, NY· 5d ago
$110–$130/hr
Licensed Social Worker with ABA Training
Manhattan Psychology Group · New York, NY· 2w ago
$110–$130/hr
Social Worker (SDoH) *Eastern Shore
Maryland Care Management · La Plata, MD· 4d ago
$76–$84/hr
Social Worker (SDoH) *Southern MD
Maryland Care Management · Silver Spring, MD· 1w ago
$76–$84/hr
Clinical Social Worker 2/3 - Per Diem
UCSF Health · San Francisco, CA· 4mo ago
$67.43–$79.82/hr
CLIN SOCIAL WORKER 2/3
UCSF Health · San Francisco, CA· 3w ago
$63.68–$82.76/hr
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW only) part time
AW Holdings · Bridgeport, CT· 1mo ago
$65–$80/hr
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW only) part time
Benchmark Human Services-CT · Bridgeport, CT· 1mo ago
$65–$80/hr
Social Worker Special Instruction
Genesis HealthCare · White Plains, NY· 1w ago
$70.00/hr
LCSW III, Transplant
Sutter Health · San Francisco, CA· 3d ago
$56.78–$79.49/hr
Licensed Clinical Social Worker III, Women's Health
Sutter Health · Santa Clara, CA· 1w ago
$56.78–$79.49/hr
Social Worker - NICU
UW Medicine · Seattle, WA· 1w ago
$68.03/hr

Every open job: Social worker jobs

What BLS measures

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys what people employed in the occupation earn, at every level of experience. A posting advertises what a new hire is offered, so the two measure different things.

Hourly wages, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Each figure opens its BLS page.
BLS occupation	10th pct	25th pct	Median	75th pct	90th pct	Employed
Healthcare Social Workers (21-1022)	$22.22 (source: BLS OEWS, Healthcare Social Workers, opens in a new tab)	$27.27 (source: BLS OEWS, Healthcare Social Workers, opens in a new tab)	$32.63 (source: BLS OEWS, Healthcare Social Workers, opens in a new tab)	$39.54 (source: BLS OEWS, Healthcare Social Workers, opens in a new tab)	$48.25 (source: BLS OEWS, Healthcare Social Workers, opens in a new tab)	187,630 (source: BLS OEWS, Healthcare Social Workers, opens in a new tab)

The posted median ($41.50) is $8.87 above the BLS median ($32.63 (source: BLS OEWS May 2025, Healthcare Social Workers, opens in a new tab)). Posted ranges run from a new hire's rate to an experienced one's, and their midpoint is counted here.

Social worker salary: common questions

How much does a social worker make an hour?

Open social worker jobs on CareJobs.Now that state an hourly rate post a median of $41.50, with the middle half between $36.25–$50 (560 jobs from 185 employers, each employer's advertised range counted once). Postings advertise a base rate, usually before shift differentials and bonuses. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics measured a median of $32.63/hr ($67,880 a year) for healthcare social workers in May 2025.

How much does a social worker make a year?

At the posted median of $41.50 an hour, full time (2,080 hours a year) comes to about $86,300, and the middle half to $75,400 to $104,000. That is arithmetic on the hourly rate, not a salary any job states. 292 open jobs state a yearly salary instead, a median of $80,000.

Which states pay social workers the most?

By the median hourly rate open jobs post: California ($53), Oregon ($50) and Washington ($49.50). The lowest: Pennsylvania ($33), Florida ($33.25) and Wisconsin ($35.25). Each state's page breaks its pay down by town and employer.

Which employers pay social workers the most?

Among employers stating a rate on at least 5 open jobs: UW Medicine ($68), UCSF Health ($66) and Sutter Health ($65). The employer table lists the 40 employers with the most jobs stating pay.

Where do these figures come from?

From the pay CareJobs.Now's open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 560 of 1,981 open social worker jobs (28%) state an hourly rate. No pay is estimated for a job that states none, "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out, and each employer's advertised range counts once in the median, so no single employer sets it.

More pay by job: Mental health

Social worker jobs →Every healthcare salary →Pay explorer →

Sources and method

Only pay a job states is used: a plain hourly or yearly figure or range in US dollars, read from the job's own posting. A range counts at its midpoint. In the median and the middle half each employer's advertised range counts once, so an employer posting one range in many towns does not set the figure; an employer's own figures count its jobs one by one. "Up to" ceilings, weekly travel rates and rates under a third or over three times the occupation's median are left out. The yearly estimate is the hourly rate times 2,080 hours (40 a week). A job counts under its occupation and every occupation above it, and under every state it is open in. A page exists while at least 8 jobs from 3 employers state a rate. BLS figures are as published.

CareJobs.Now job board: the pay open jobs state, read nightly from each employer's own careers site, published October 24, 2026
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Healthcare Social Workers (SOC 21-1022), published May 15, 2026
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (SOC 21-1023), published May 15, 2026
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Child, Family, and School Social Workers (SOC 21-1021), published May 15, 2026
BLS OEWS May 2025: Healthcare Social Workers by state, published May 15, 2026
BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035: Healthcare Social Workers (Occupational Outlook Handbook), published August 27, 2026
BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035: Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers (Occupational Outlook Handbook), published August 27, 2026
BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035: Child, Family, and School Social Workers (Occupational Outlook Handbook), published August 27, 2026

Cite this page

CareJobs.Now. (2026). Social worker salary. Data as of October 24, 2026. https://carejobs.now/salaries/social-worker

How the board counts