The median Social Worker salary is $37.50 per hour, or $78,000 per year, based on 4,270 job postings across 97 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$37.50
Median hourly
$78,000
Annual salary
$28-$63
Pay range
97
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Social Worker earns $37.50/hr, with most posted roles landing between $32.50 and $47.50/hr.
Recent posted pay is down, with the last 30 days showing -3.9% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Nj, US is currently among the highest-paying cities, while Omaha, NEBRASKA sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
-3.9%
Current median: $36.50/hr
Prior period: $38.00/hr
Job openings
-5.4%
875 recent postings
Previous period: 925 postings
Daily pay signal
$33.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Social Worker postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is moving down in recent listings, falling from $38.00/hr to $36.50/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$27.50
$57,200/yr
Median
$37.50
$78,000/yr
Top earners
$62.50
$130,000/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $36.50/hr | 827 |
Mar 2026 | $38.00/hr | 973 |
Feb 2026 | $38.50/hr | 430 |
Jan 2026 | $37.50/hr | 765 |
Dec 2025 | $37.50/hr | 807 |
Nov 2025 | $47.00/hr | 468 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
11 postings · 9 companies
$30.00
$25-$31
13 postings · 7 companies
$52.50
$45-$75
56 postings · 23 companies
$41.25
$40-$44
7 postings · 3 companies
$32.50
$33-$33
757 postings · 241 companies
$45.00
$35-$54
106 postings · 39 companies
$37.50
$35-$42
27 postings · 15 companies
$38.50
$32-$52
6 postings · 5 companies
$38.25
$35-$51
14 postings · 8 companies
$44.75
$45-$59
76 postings · 40 companies
$33.50
$27-$40
29 postings · 21 companies
$33.50
$32-$41
6 postings · 4 companies
$56.06
$42-$79
10 postings · 7 companies
$34.00
$27-$41
152 postings · 58 companies
$37.50
$34-$41
56 postings · 16 companies
$31.50
$30-$33
Estimated from national data
~$34.56
—
14 postings · 9 companies
$32.50
$30-$34
12 postings · 7 companies
$34.50
$35-$37
23 postings · 9 companies
$31.00
$29-$32
8 postings · 6 companies
$30.75
$29-$32
110 postings · 51 companies
$40.00
$38-$45
185 postings · 80 companies
$37.50
$34-$44
92 postings · 58 companies
$35.00
$31-$44
160 postings · 71 companies
$36.00
$33-$40
Estimated from national data
~$39.83
—
23 postings · 13 companies
$32.50
$28-$36
10 postings · 8 companies
$33.75
$31-$40
10 postings · 4 companies
$28.50
$27-$30
23 postings · 17 companies
$41.00
$37-$52
6 postings · 4 companies
$38.75
$36-$40
178 postings · 61 companies
$45.00
$37-$63
68 postings · 18 companies
$35.00
$33-$38
537 postings · 182 companies
$37.50
$32-$50
86 postings · 26 companies
$35.00
$30-$38
14 postings · 5 companies
$31.25
$30-$34
166 postings · 79 companies
$32.50
$26-$38
9 postings · 6 companies
$36.50
$35-$38
46 postings · 13 companies
$50.00
$46-$52
71 postings · 36 companies
$32.00
$26-$38
16 postings · 11 companies
$37.50
$35-$46
18 postings · 12 companies
$31.50
$31-$33
9 postings · 6 companies
$33.00
$30-$37
26 postings · 10 companies
$29.50
$28-$35
122 postings · 57 companies
$37.00
$34-$42
51 postings · 10 companies
$43.00
$34-$49
20 postings · 9 companies
$44.00
$37-$81
42 postings · 21 companies
$34.00
$31-$38
153 postings · 39 companies
$48.00
$43-$54
11 postings · 4 companies
$25.50
$26-$46
90 postings · 37 companies
$37.50
$31-$38
Estimated from national data
~$34.65
—
Est.Estimated values are based on national averages.
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Social Worker salaries.
Nj
Us · 12 postings
$74.00/hr
Northridge
California · 22 postings
$58.50/hr
Observation By Supervisor
Qm · 14 postings
$57.79/hr
Manhattan
New York · 13 postings
$56.00/hr
Seattle
Washington · 46 postings
$54.00/hr
Omaha
Nebraska · 10 postings
$28.50/hr
Nc
Us · 18 postings
$29.00/hr
Rochester
New York · 51 postings
$29.00/hr
Dayton
Ohio · 15 postings
$30.00/hr
Indianapolis
Indiana · 11 postings
$30.00/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Social Worker positions.
Care Career
15 postings
$91.11/hr
Neogen Care
6 postings
$80.00/hr
Obran Cooperative
10 postings
$77.50/hr
Rhode Island Counseling Associates
18 postings
$75.00/hr
Lyte
6 postings
$74.00/hr
International Rescue Committee
11 postings
$22.00/hr
Concerto Renal Services
6 postings
$25.00/hr
Centers Health Care
6 postings
$25.00/hr
Enriching Lives
8 postings
$25.50/hr
Integrated Services For Behavioral Health
22 postings
$25.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Social Worker | 150 | $34.50/hr |
| Licensed Social Worker | 67 | $37.00/hr |
| Hospice Social Worker | 53 | $35.00/hr |
| Licensed Master Social Worker (lmsw) | 32 | $39.25/hr |
| Licensed Masters Social Worker (lmsw) | 31 | $67.50/hr |
| Licensed Counselor Or Social Worker | 27 | $25.50/hr |
| Care Coordination Master Social Worker | 25 | $42.00/hr |
| Licensed Master Social Worker | 24 | $40.00/hr |
| Licensed Masters Social Worker | 21 | $43.50/hr |
| Master Social Worker | 21 | $34.50/hr |
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Social Worker salaries.
FAQ
The median Social Worker salary is $37.50 per hour, or $78,000 annually. Pay ranges from $27.50/hr (10th percentile) to $62.50/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 4,270 job postings, the highest paying states for Social Workers include Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 4,270 Social Worker job postings across 97 states, from 1387 different healthcare employers.
Social Worker pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Social Worker pay is currently trending downward. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates decreased 3.9%.
Social Worker pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $10.00 to $25.00 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Nj offer $74.00/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $28.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Social Workers typically earn around $27.50 to $32.50 per hour ($57,200 to $67,600 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $37.50/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 4,270 active postings with listed compensation for Social Worker. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
EXPLORE MORE
Social Work salary data in Social Services Professional
Social Work salary data in Social Services Professional
Social Work salary data in Social Services Professional
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