Healthcare Social Workers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for healthcare social workerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $71,790 ≈ $35/hr
National median salary $67,880
Total employment 187,630 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +7.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings 18,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 193,200 → 208,100 (+14,800)
Typical entry education Master's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$93,840
- District of Columbia$93,120
- Oregon$85,830
- New Jersey$85,340
- Connecticut$83,290
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$56,980
- Oklahoma$57,480
- Alabama$58,360
- Montana$59,510
- South Dakota$59,640
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $93,840 | $89,660 | $45 | +30.7% | 17,690 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $93,120 | $94,100 | $45 | +29.7% | 420 |
| 3 | Oregon | $85,830 | $84,350 | $41 | +19.6% | 2,320 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $85,340 | $82,690 | $41 | +18.9% | 4,310 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $83,290 | $79,900 | $40 | +16% | 1,650 |
| 6 | Vermont | $82,720 | $81,140 | $40 | +15.2% | 250 |
| 7 | Hawaii | $82,370 | $85,420 | $40 | +14.7% | 660 |
| 8 | Washington | $81,040 | $78,570 | $39 | +12.9% | 5,180 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $80,160 | $78,260 | $39 | +11.7% | 590 |
| 10 | Utah | $78,270 | $78,150 | $38 | +9% | 1,750 |
| 11 | Nevada | $78,240 | $78,470 | $38 | +9% | 1,160 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $77,000 | $76,440 | $37 | +7.3% | 7,220 |
| 13 | New York | $75,170 | $73,070 | $36 | +4.7% | 20,440 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $73,510 | $73,970 | $35 | +2.4% | 2,430 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $73,020 | $75,390 | $35 | +1.7% | 630 |
| 16 | Maryland | $72,140 | $76,440 | $35 | +0.5% | 4,750 |
| 17 | Idaho | $71,470 | $74,500 | $34 | -0.4% | 750 |
| 18 | Maine | $70,860 | $71,610 | $34 | -1.3% | 790 |
| 19 | Texas | $69,990 | $69,990 | $34 | -2.5% | 10,880 |
| 20 | Michigan | $69,940 | $67,600 | $34 | -2.6% | 4,860 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $69,510 | $66,910 | $33 | -3.2% | 3,770 |
| 22 | Virginia | $69,390 | $66,550 | $33 | -3.3% | 3,070 |
| 23 | Alaska | $68,370 | $62,000 | $33 | -4.8% | 480 |
| 24 | Indiana | $68,370 | $64,580 | $33 | -4.8% | 3,890 |
| 25 | Arizona | $68,330 | $64,030 | $33 | -4.8% | 3,100 |
| 26 | Illinois | $68,190 | $64,270 | $33 | -5% | 4,910 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $67,410 | $62,260 | $32 | -6.1% | 180 |
| 28 | Delaware | $67,360 | $64,620 | $32 | -6.2% | 780 |
| 29 | Colorado | $67,170 | $63,480 | $32 | -6.4% | 3,670 |
| 30 | New Mexico | $67,170 | $65,930 | $32 | -6.4% | 1,200 |
| 31 | Florida | $66,920 | $64,820 | $32 | -6.8% | 10,520 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $65,690 | $61,900 | $32 | -8.5% | 9,630 |
| 33 | Ohio | $65,350 | $63,610 | $31 | -9% | 8,930 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $65,300 | $62,860 | $31 | -9% | 330 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $64,960 | $64,080 | $31 | -9.5% | 1,980 |
| 36 | Georgia | $64,910 | $62,420 | $31 | -9.6% | 6,970 |
| 37 | Kansas | $64,860 | $64,440 | $31 | -9.7% | 1,360 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $64,720 | $63,280 | $31 | -9.8% | 5,120 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $63,680 | $62,420 | $31 | -11.3% | 980 |
| 40 | Iowa | $63,560 | $63,050 | $31 | -11.5% | 1,550 |
| 41 | Louisiana | $63,510 | $61,080 | $31 | -11.5% | 1,970 |
| 42 | West Virginia | $63,470 | $60,140 | $31 | -11.6% | 1,100 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $62,750 | $61,240 | $30 | -12.6% | 5,970 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $62,020 | $60,840 | $30 | -13.6% | 3,100 |
| 45 | Missouri | $60,560 | $59,870 | $29 | -15.6% | 4,430 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $60,300 | $62,250 | $29 | -16% | 1,890 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $59,640 | $57,510 | $29 | -16.9% | 790 |
| 48 | Montana | $59,510 | $57,090 | $29 | -17.1% | 840 |
| 49 | Alabama | $58,360 | $60,000 | $28 | -18.7% | 2,850 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $57,480 | $56,120 | $28 | -19.9% | 2,310 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $56,980 | $55,640 | $27 | -20.6% | 1,250 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 500 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napa, CA | $142,940 | $129,130 | 160 |
| 2 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $133,340 | $112,750 | 170 |
| 3 | Vallejo, CA | $122,450 | $112,700 | 160 |
| 4 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $108,530 | $106,760 | 280 |
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $107,170 | $108,280 | 770 |
| 6 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $99,640 | $104,710 | 2,740 |
| 7 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $97,070 | $100,600 | 1,030 |
| 8 | Visalia, CA | $96,790 | $95,810 | 190 |
| 9 | Modesto, CA | $95,250 | $93,250 | 220 |
| 10 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $93,200 | $91,690 | 150 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing healthcare social workerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $83,170 | $86,450 | 3,000 |
| 2 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $83,150 | $80,920 | 650 |
| 3 | Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $83,130 | $85,970 | 800 |
| 4 | Other Insurance Related Activities | $83,130 | $86,680 | 540 |
| 5 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $82,620 | $86,140 | 3,210 |
| 6 | Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | $82,190 | $84,470 | 250 |
| 7 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $81,600 | $80,870 | 200 |
| 8 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $81,410 | $81,700 | 500 |
| 9 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $80,980 | $88,810 | 4,540 |
| 10 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $80,940 | $77,960 | 1,180 |
| 11 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $80,940 | $78,270 | 200 |
| 12 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $80,940 | $79,100 | 200 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do healthcare social workers make in the U.S.?
The median healthcare social workers salary in the United States is $67,880 per year (mean $71,790), and about 80% earn between $46,220 and $100,360.
How much do healthcare social workers make per hour?
Roughly $35 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $71,790 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays healthcare social workers the most?
California has the highest average pay for healthcare social workers at $93,840 per year (median $89,660).
What is the job outlook for healthcare social workers?
Employment is projected to change +7.7% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 18,400 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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