Social Worker salary
What a social worker actually earns, from 907 live job postings blended with the official US OEWS (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics) wage anchor. Pick a market for its median and range, then read the seniority split, the trend, and the country comparison below. Updated 2026-07-23.
Switch the market above to see social worker pay in the 4 countries our sources cover, each with its own cost of living. The trend, seniority, and state detail below are United States data, where the official record runs deepest.
What the number means
Social work is the clearest case on the board of a career priced below its social value. A blended US median near 101,000 dollars looks healthy until you see it is carried by clinical and management roles; front-line case work sits well under it, often below a teacher’s pay for a heavier caseload. The credential ladder is real: a master’s degree and clinical licensure lift the number materially, so the honest advice is to treat the license as the pay lever it is. Demand is high and stable. The compensation is a policy choice, not a market failure.
Open social worker roles
Live openings tagged to this occupation, from company career pages and remote boards. Apply at the source.
- Social Worker- Home Based Primary CareVeterans Health Administration · Traverse City, Michigan$87k–$113kJul 21
- Social Worker - Substance Use Disorder ServicesVeterans Health Administration · Prescott, Arizona$69k–$108kJul 21
- Social Worker- Caregiver Support ProgramVeterans Health Administration · Muskogee, Oklahoma$65k–$101kJul 20
- Senior Social Worker (PCMHI)Veterans Health Administration · Sierra Vista, Arizona$102k–$133kJul 20
- Social Worker - Home Based Primary CareVeterans Health Administration · Columbia, Missouri$70k–$111kJul 20
- Senior Social Worker (Suicide Prevention)Veterans Health Administration · Murfreesboro, Tennessee$106k–$138kJul 20
By seniority
Posted-median pay by seniority signal in the title, from our corpus. Noisy at the edges where sample sizes are small.
By country
- United States$85,444 – $112,526 · median $100,713
- United Kingdom$39,147 – $97,868 · median $60,496
- Canada$39,746 – $74,824 · median $60,168
- Australia$69,745 – $116,056 · median $116,056
Top-paying US states
OEWS median by state, highest first.
- Connecticutmedian $78,940
- Washingtonmedian $72,290
- Marylandmedian $70,840
- Californiamedian $69,250
- Massachusettsmedian $67,880
- North Dakotamedian $66,900
Is your offer fair?
Run a specific number through FairElephant, which weighs it against this data, your location, and remote market rates.
Related salaries
- Teacher salary$65,333 median
- Registered Nurse salary$94,467 median
- Nurse Practitioner salary$95,455 median
Quick answers
How much do social workers make?
The blended US median is about 101,000 dollars, but that is lifted by clinical and supervisory roles; front-line case work pays well below it.
How can a social worker earn more?
The master of social work and clinical licensure are the main levers, moving pay from case work into clinical and management bands.
Is social work in demand?
Yes, high and stable demand, though the pay lags the need across most of the field.
Method: bands are the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of live US postings with stated pay, shrunk toward the official OEWS anchor by sample size (the “blended” figure). Trend is the OEWS annual median for SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code 21-1021. Live corpus 907 observations, 2026-07-23. Definitions in the glossary.