FAQ: What Are the Highest-Paying Social Work Jobs?

Social workers help others overcome their hardships and improve their lives. Social work can be challenging, but it also can be a dream job if you’re driven to help people. It’s a real way to make a difference. But how much can you earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual pay for social workers in 2024 was $61,3300—actual salaries may vary and depend on your specialty, location, and employer.

Learn more about how much different kinds of social workers earn.

What Does a Social Worker Do?

Social workers help people work through challenging situations in their lives. They work in different environments, including human service agencies, schools, hospitals, and mental health clinics. Social workers are trained to do what’s best for the client while working a case, including:

• Helping people apply for food stamps.
• Finding shelter for those experiencing homelessness.
• Seeking counseling and related services for people affected by domestic violence.
• Counseling hospital patients who have chronic or acute illnesses.
• Helping students who have special challenges at school.
• Assisting social services in applying for grants.

Social workers are often the primary connections between people with a need and the government agencies or local services that offer help. Social workers usually are considered advocates for their clients.

The job description for a social worker might include:

• Interviewing clients to assess their needs.
• Deciding what actions are appropriate.
• Obtaining and organizing necessary assistance.
• Helping clients set goals.
• Monitoring and documenting the client’s situation over time.
• Understanding and complying with federal, state and local rules and guidelines.
• Maintaining client confidentiality.
• Helping clients apply for grants or other funds.
• Compiling data into reports for analysis.

Many social workers are employed by nonprofit agencies. Some work primarily in an office, while others are out in the field. An example would be a social worker who makes home visits as a child or family services worker.

How Do I Become a Social Worker?

Earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited school is the first step to becoming a social worker. Some people pursue a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), in which they focus on such topics as human behavior, cultural diversity and social welfare policy. While some employers may prefer candidates with a psychology or sociology degree, others have flexible education requirements and will consider individuals with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline for entry-level social work jobs such as behavioral management aides, case managers and court liaisons.

A master’s degree (MSW) is required for clinical social workers. In addition, aspiring clinical social workers must complete post-master’s supervised clinical work and obtain a state license. An MSW program typically takes about two years.

How Much Do Different Kinds of Social Workers Earn?

The $55,350 median salary reported by the BLS is part of an overview of social workers employed in a range of settings, from child welfare and human services agencies to health care providers and schools. Many of them work full-time, and some work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

The median wage is the salary at the middle of all salaries in an occupation. Half of social workers are paid more, with the top 10 percent earning more than $99,500, and half are paid less, with the bottom 10 percent earning less than $41,580.

While social workers may perform similar tasks, their salaries can vary by field of practice. According to 2024 data from the BLS:

• All other social workers had a median salary of $69,480.
• Health care social workers had a median salary of $68,090.
• Mental health and substance-abuse social workers had a median salary of $60,060.
• Child, family and school social workers had a median salary of $58,570.

Here are other industries that employ social workers, along with their median salaries:

• Social workers in educational services, including state, local, and private earned a median salary of $67,620
• Social workers in local government, excluding education and hospitals, earned a median salary of $65,920.
• Social workers in state government, excluding education and hospitals, earned a median salary of $59,630.
• Social workers in individual and family services earned a median salary of $51,430.
• Social workers in community food and housing, emergency, and vocational rehabilitation services earned a median salary of $49,980.

The BLS further breaks down social work mean, or average, salaries within health care, child/family/school, community/social service, mental health/substance abuse and human services workers:

Health care social workers, mean wage estimates in 2024:

• Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals: $86,930
• Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities: $86,270
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $81,760
• Other Ambulatory Health Care Services: $79,510
• Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals: $79,110
• Offices of Other Health Practitioners: $78,990
• Outpatient Care Centers: $78,700
• Scientific Research and Development Services: $78,470
• Insurance Carriers: $78,110
• Home Health Care Services: $77,240

Child, family and school social workers, mean wage estimates in 2024:

• Home Health Insurance: $80,180
• Insurance Carriers: $76,540
• Technical and Trade Schools: $74,580
• Elementary and Secondary Schools: $74,580
• Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals: $73,680
• Junior Colleges (including private, state, and local government owned): $73,630
• Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals: $71,290
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $71,030
• Legal Services: $69,770
• Religious Organizations: $68,880

Community and social services workers, median wage in 2024:

• Insurance Carriers: $84,350
• Scientific Research and Development Services: $76,400
• Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals: $75,430
• Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities: $75,330
• Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools: $71,900
• Junior Colleges: $67,660
• Other Ambulatory Health Care Services: $67,470
• Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events: $67,270
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $66,690
• Legal Services: $65,590

Mental health and substance abuse social workers, mean wage estimates in 2024:

• Home Health Care Services: $91,160
• Child Care Services: $90,970
• Insurance Carriers: $87,870
• Offices of Other Health Practitioners: $87,640
• Nursing Care Facilities: $85,610
• Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations: $81,970
• Educational Support Services: $81,640
• Other Ambulatory Health Care Services: $79,920
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $79,130
• State Government: $78,830

Social and human services assistants, mean wage estimates in 2024:

• Health and Personal Care Retailers: $67,090
• Insurance Carriers: $63,830
• Other Personal Services: $61,240
• Technical and Trade Schools: $60,130
• Federal Executive Branch: $57,730
• Other Ambulatory Health Care Services: $55,640
• Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations: $55,560
• Business Schools and Computer and Management Training: $54,360
• Local Government: $54,200
• General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $53,610

What Is the Career Outlook for Social Worker Jobs?

According to the BLS (May 2024), employment in social work occupations is expected to grow 6% from 2024 to 2034, faster than average for all other jobs. For social workers in the health care industry, the projected growth is 10%; for those in the mental health/substance abuse arena, it is 11%.

Here are projections for social work occupations, including additional jobs and the average percentage change:

Learn More About a Career in Social Work

The career of a social worker can be fulfilling, challenging and ever-changing. If you're employed as a social worker and are seeking higher income or contemplating a career transition, consider the various work settings available to social workers and your desired salary.

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