Social worker earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level social worker earnings begin at:

$43.46 per hour

$90,400 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level social worker earnings begin at:

$38.75 per hour

$80,600 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level social worker earnings begin at:

$32.29 per hour

$67,160 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level social worker earnings begin at:

$18.16 per hour

$37,760 per year

10th percentile

Starting level social worker earnings begin at:

$17.39 per hour

$36,170 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Social worker salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Hawaii $90,540
Massachusetts $88,770
Nevada $86,510
Georgia $81,620
Washington $81,510
New Hampshire $80,540
South Dakota $78,640
Rhode Island $77,970
South Carolina $77,480
New York $76,410
Kansas $76,190
Virginia $75,800
Idaho $74,850
North Dakota $73,260
West Virginia $73,260
Indiana $71,700
Alabama $71,300
Illinois $71,120
Pennsylvania $68,370
Delaware $67,230
Texas $67,190
North Carolina $67,160
Iowa $64,650
Connecticut $64,380
Minnesota $63,480
New Jersey $63,410
Maryland $63,340
California $61,690
Michigan $61,210
Nebraska $61,210
Arizona $60,510
Wisconsin $60,040
District of Columbia $60,020
Vermont $58,390
Ohio $57,390
New Mexico $57,370
Louisiana $54,730
Oregon $54,220
Oklahoma $53,410
Wyoming $50,970
Maine $50,070
Alaska $49,630
Colorado $48,620
Mississippi $47,820
Florida $47,260
Guam $46,920
Montana $46,920
Kentucky $46,640
Utah $45,360
Tennessee $39,820
Arkansas $37,200
Missouri $37,200
Puerto Rico $30,010

How do social worker salaries compare to similar careers?

Social workers earn about the same as related careers in North Carolina. On average, they make less than private detectives but more than postal service clerks.

Career Median Salary
Private detective salary $70K
Social worker salary $67K
American sign language interpreter salary $45K
Fire inspector salary $60K
Arbitrator salary $62K
Postal service clerk salary $53K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)