Salary for Social Worker Jobs

Updated: 30 Jan 2012
United States » Job » Social Worker Overview » Social Worker Salary
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National Salary Data

National Salary Data

 (?
XAll compensation data shown are gross, national 10th to 90th percentile ranges. Pay can vary greatly by location. To view local data, take the PayScale survey.
)
$0$18K$36K$54K
Salary$24,381 - $51,579  
   
Bonus$2.14 - $7,097  
Total Pay (?
XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).
)
$23,962 - $53,841  
PayScale
Country: United States | Currency: USD | Updated: 30 Jan 2012 | Individuals Reporting: 975
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Companies and Industries for Social Worker Jobs

Popular Employers

Salary Range

Department of Social Services$28,605 - $54,022
The Salvation ArmyNot enough data
Catholic CharitiesNot enough data
Texas Department of Family and Protective ServicesNot enough data
Department of Family and Children's ServicesNot enough data
Popular Industries

Salary Range

Social Services$24,910 - $58,455
Non-profit Children's Services$25,157 - $55,706
Community Mental Health$25,759 - $59,165
Healthcare$26,726 - $64,843
Nursing Home$26,463 - $63,141

key statistics
Key Statistics for Social Worker Jobs

Gender
Female
81%
female alumni
 
Male
19%
male alumni
Salary:$29,506 - $40,780 $30,414 - $49,128
Years of Experience
Less than 1 year
10%
1-4 years
48%
5-9 years
18%
10-19 years
17%
20 years or more
7%
Most Common Health Benefits
medical benefits Medical: 80% dental benefits Dental: 64%
vision benefits Vision: 44% employee benefits None: 19%

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career path
Career Path for Social Worker Jobs

Common Past Jobs
Common Future Jobs

Social Worker

Salary Range

$23,962 - $53,841
payscale
Case Manager, Social Services
$23,907 - $43,478
Case Manager
$24,100 - $63,096
Waiter/Waitress
$7,794 - $39,156
 
Common Future Jobs

Social Worker

Salary Range

$23,962 - $53,841
payscale
Social Worker (MSW)
$29,831 - $59,274
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
$35,479 - $75,792
Child, Family, or School Social Worker
$23,442 - $55,299
 

career path
Salary Map for Social Worker Jobs

Highest Salaries By City for Social Worker Jobs

Top Cities by Popularity for Social Worker Jobs

Highest Salaries By City Top Cities by Popularity

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FAQs on Salaries for Social Worker Jobs

What is the Salary of a Social Worker?

Social work is not typically a career one goes into expecting fame and fortune. It can mean long hours, lack of resources, frustrating cases, and much more. Social workers need vast reserves of patience and compassion to do their jobs well. However, those who excel in this field often find that helping individuals, families, and communities recover from crises is a reward that far outweighs the less attractive aspects of social work. "What is the salary of a social worker?" is probably not the first question social-workers-to-be should ask, but salary research is a vital part of any career decision and ought to be considered. So, what is the salary of a social worker? There will be many different answers to this question depending on factors as diverse as education, location and experience. You can find the answer to this and many other salary questions by researching PayScale's data on the salaries of social workers.

Social Worker Starting Salaries

Everyone has to start somewhere, and social workers are no exception. The salaries of social workers are fairly closely tied to experience; the more time a social worker has spent on the job, the more likely it is that he or she will know how to handle the next case that comes through the door. To research social worker starting salaries, check out the Social Worker Salary by Years Experience chart. Viewing that chart, it's clear that social worker starting salaries are the first step in a steady salary progression as a social worker gains experience. Median starting salaries range from around $25,000 to around $32,000 for social workers with less than one year of experience. While experience may be the best teacher, a solid educational background can be of help too. For social workers, salary is typically highest with a Master of Social Work degree. To compare and contrast, visit the Salaries of Social Workers by Degree page. As with most careers, the salaries of social workers also vary from state to state. Researching a Social Worker Salary by State shows that California and New York currently offer the highest median social worker salary.

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The latest career advice from people with this job:

Social Worker Jobs

Preventing Burn Out
Social Worker - (City withheld for privacy), Ohio, United States
I have been in the field of crisis intervention social work with youth for approximately six months. I have heard so much from coworkers regarding burn-out. It appears to me that this can be avoided. Although I am new, I have been faced with learning how to separate work from home, and I believe that this is a skill that can and will help me to avoid being burned out. My advice to those of you just beginning your career, and those of you who have been in the field for a long time already... ...
Posted in Work Life Balance on 10 Jan 2010
Making children smile
Social Worker - (City withheld for privacy), Nevada, United States
This is my dream job because there is so many children who needs someone to talk to, and someone they can trust. This job is going to give me a way to be the voice for our children.
Posted in Dream Job on 27 May 2009
Advice
Social Worker - (City withheld for privacy), Texas, United States
My career track has taken me into the chemical dependency field as an BSW, so by the time I received my MSW. I already had 2 years experience as a clinician. This allowed qualified me for a leadership position as a clinican supervisor of facility of 250 and 10 counselors working under me. There is also great family experience and exposure to maladaptive behaviors that you get working in the chemical dependency. I hope to be achieve a program director position in a year. Good luck everyone.
Posted in Dream Job on 1 Mar 2009
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