The average salary for a social worker in the United States is around $71,900 per year.
Avg Salary
Social workers earn an average yearly salary of $71,900.
Wages typically start from $43,620 and go up to $115,610.
10% above national average Updated in 2025
Social worker earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level social worker earnings begin at:
$55.58 per hour
$115,610 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level social worker earnings begin at:
$46.65 per hour
$97,040 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level social worker earnings begin at:
$34.57 per hour
$71,900 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level social worker earnings begin at:
$24.95 per hour
$51,900 per year
10th percentile
Starting level social worker earnings begin at:
$20.97 per hour
$43,620 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Social worker salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Missouri | $98,740 |
| District of Columbia | $96,380 |
| South Carolina | $96,350 |
| Alabama | $94,270 |
| South Dakota | $93,760 |
| Delaware | $93,250 |
| Virginia | $92,930 |
| Mississippi | $91,560 |
| Iowa | $91,170 |
| New Mexico | $90,820 |
| Idaho | $88,610 |
| Kentucky | $85,160 |
| Indiana | $84,570 |
| Texas | $84,240 |
| New York | $84,010 |
| North Dakota | $81,330 |
| Minnesota | $79,790 |
| Georgia | $78,260 |
| New Jersey | $76,640 |
| Nebraska | $76,520 |
| Kansas | $76,190 |
| Maryland | $75,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,430 |
| Vermont | $73,070 |
| Louisiana | $69,230 |
| Connecticut | $69,080 |
| Wyoming | $69,020 |
| Oregon | $67,820 |
| Utah | $66,440 |
| Illinois | $64,030 |
| North Carolina | $63,490 |
| California | $63,010 |
| Wisconsin | $62,830 |
| West Virginia | $62,590 |
| Arizona | $62,150 |
| Michigan | $62,140 |
| Colorado | $61,610 |
| Alaska | $61,220 |
| Maine | $60,280 |
| Ohio | $59,780 |
| Florida | $58,550 |
| Montana | $51,650 |
| Tennessee | $51,460 |
| Arkansas | $47,790 |
| Guam | $46,920 |
| Puerto Rico | $30,010 |
| Nevada | $121,830 |
| Hawaii | $116,130 |
| Rhode Island | $111,590 |
| New Hampshire | $103,710 |
| Washington | $102,520 |
| Oklahoma | $101,860 |
| Massachusetts | $101,280 |
How do social worker salaries compare to similar careers?
Social workers earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than detectives but more than librarians.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Detective salary | $94K |
| Arbitrator salary | $76K |
| Police officer salary | $76K |
| Fire inspector salary | $76K |
| Marriage and family therapist salary | $67K |
| Social worker salary | $72K |
| Archaeologist salary | $71K |
| Anthropologist salary | $71K |
| Probation officer salary | $66K |
| Librarian salary | $68K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)