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.

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.

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. 

DSW Salary

Those looking to continue their social work education can also earn a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree. A DSW degree is a postgraduate program designed for social workers to learn more about research, supervision and policy analysis. A doctoral education in social work may allow graduates to pursue advanced licensure or teaching. DSW salaries vary depending on where graduates choose to work, but the median annual salary for postsecondary social work teachers was $71,570 in 2020.

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:

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.

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

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.

The five top-paying non-metropolitan areas were Nevada, central New Hampshire, Connecticut, northwest Minnesota and south Nebraska.

The BLS reported that the five highest-paying states for healthcare social workers as of May 2020 were:

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.

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.

According to the BLS, the highest-paying states for all other social workers as of May 2020 were:

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. 

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:

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.

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.

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.

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:

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