Social Work salary: $41.48/hr median.
Across 5,950 active postings · 4 titles with data · 97 states.
Browse Social Work salary titles in Social Services Professional, including posting volume, median pay, state coverage, and role-level comparisons.
How Social Work pay is distributed across the market.
10% of postings pay under $27.50. The top 10% pay above $205.00.
How Social Work pay has moved month over month.
Median pay moved from $46.18 in Nov 2025 to $43.06 in Apr 2026 (-6.8%). Bars show monthly posting volume; the line tracks the posting-weighted median.
Social Work pay across every state with live data.
Showing all 48 states with live data. Bars scale to the highest-paying state.
The most common job titles in Social Work.
These are the individual job titles that make up the Social Work track, ranked by active posting volume over the last 180 days.
| Role | Category · Track | Median /hr | P25–P75 | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Worker | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $37.50 | $32.50–$47.50 | 4,270 |
| Clinical Social Worker | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $53.50 | $42.00–$70.00 | 1,398 |
| Masters in Social Work | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $41.50 | $35.00–$47.38 | 274 |
| Psychiatric Social Worker (LCSW-Psych) | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $63.03 | $52.03–$103.49 | 8 |
Highest-paying job titles in the Social Work track.
| Role | Category · Track | Median /hr | P25–P75 | Postings | Δ pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychiatric Social Worker (LCSW-Psych) | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $63.03 | $52.03–$103.49 | 8 | — flat |
| Clinical Social Worker | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $53.50 | $42.00–$70.00 | 1,398 | ▲ 5.8% |
| Masters in Social Work | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $41.50 | $35.00–$47.38 | 274 | ▼ 3.6% |
| Social Worker | Social Services Professional · Social Work | $37.50 | $32.50–$47.50 | 4,270 | ▼ 3.9% |
How to become a Social Work.
Healthcare social services professionals connect patients to the resources, benefits, and care coordination they need across the continuum: discharge planning, insurance navigation, behavioral health access, social determinants of health, and post-acute placement. The category covers medical social workers (LMSW, LCSW), case managers, patient navigators, community health workers, and resource specialists. Most clinical-level roles require an MSW and state licensure; care coordination and navigation roles span associate's to master's degrees.
Clinical social work: BSW or other bachelor's → 2-year MSW → state LMSW licensure → 2-3 years of supervised clinical hours → LCSW exam → independent license. Case management: bachelor's (in social work, nursing, or human services) → 2+ years of relevant experience → optional CCM certification. Patient navigation / CHW: high school + state CHW training, or bachelor's plus on-the-job training.
| Degree | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Social WorkBSW | 4 years | Qualifies for non-clinical case management, community health worker, and navigator roles. In some states, eligible for LBSW or LSW licensure for entry-level practice. |
| Master of Social WorkMSW | 2 years (1 year if you have a BSW) | Required for clinical practice. Includes ~900 hours of supervised internship. Standard route into medical social work, hospital discharge planning, and behavioral health. |
| Bachelor's in public health / human services / nursingBS / BA / BSN | 4 years | Qualifies for case management roles — particularly when paired with RN licensure (nurse case manager track) or CCM certification. |
| Community Health Worker trainingCHW Cert | 100-200 hours | Short certificate programs prepare community health workers for outreach, navigation, and SDOH-focused roles. Increasingly funded by state Medicaid programs. |
Entry-level master's license in most states. Required to call yourself a social worker in clinical settings.
Independent clinical license. Required to provide therapy without supervision. Eligibility is the MSW + 2-3 years of supervised hours + the ASWB Clinical exam.
Required in inpatient and ED-facing roles. Standard at hire for hospital social workers and case managers.
| Credential | Issued by | Pay impact |
|---|---|---|
| CCM Certified Case Manager The cross-discipline gold standard for case managers (RN, MSW, or other licensed). Required by many payer and hospital roles. | Commission for Case Manager Certification | +5-15% |
| ACM Accredited Case Manager Hospital-focused case management credential. Common for RN and SW case managers in acute-care settings. | American Case Management Association | +5-10% |
| C-SWHC Certified Social Worker in Health Care Specialty credential for clinical social workers in health-care settings. | NASW | +5-10% |
| CHW state certification Community Health Worker certification State-specific CHW credentialing — increasingly required for Medicaid reimbursement of CHW services. | State Department of Health | +3-8% |
- 0-3 yearsPatient navigator / CHW / case management assistant
Bachelor's or certificate-level entry role. Outreach, scheduling, SDOH screening, and resource coordination under licensed clinician supervision.
- 0-3 years post-MSWSocial work intern / LMSW
Licensed at the master's level. Provides psychosocial assessment, discharge planning, and care coordination in a hospital, clinic, or community setting.
- 3-7 yearsClinical social worker / Case manager
LCSW for therapy or CCM/ACM for case management. Independent caseload across discharge planning, ED utilization, or outpatient navigation.
- 7-12 yearsSenior social worker / Lead case manager
Mentor and supervisor for junior staff. Manages complex cases, dual-eligible patients, or specialty populations (transplant, oncology, NICU).
- 12+ yearsDirector of Care Management / Social Work
Owns care management strategy, throughput, and length-of-stay performance for a hospital or system. MSW + MBA/MHA common at this level.
Schedule. Most hospital and outpatient roles run business hours (M-F). Hospitals add weekend rotations for discharge coverage. ED social workers and crisis teams work shifts including nights. Home-based work involves travel between patients.
Physical demands. Mostly cognitive and emotional, with a meaningful field component for home health and community-based roles (driving, climbing stairs, working in patient homes).
Healthcare social workers and case managers are projected to grow well above the cross-occupation average. Driving forces include value-based care, ED throughput pressure, the social-determinants-of-health movement, and an aging US population that needs more discharge support and post-acute coordination.