Social worker salary and education: what each kind of social worker earns and needs.
“Social worker” is a family of jobs, not one occupation. Here is what each one pays, how many people do it, the education BLS lists to start, and where it is heading, from U.S. government data.
$61,780
Median annual wage, May 2025, 775,930 employed.
Social workers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $61,780 in May 2025, according to BLS. Across the 4 occupations on this page, medians ran from $59,550 (child, family, and school social workers) to $71,900 (social workers, all other). BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for some of these jobs and a master's degree for others.
Social workers at a glance
BLS counted 775,930 social workers employed in the United States in May 2025.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Child, Family, and School Social Workers are the largest occupation on this page, with 392,550 employed and a median annual wage of $59,550 in May 2025 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Among the occupations on this page, social workers, all other had the highest median annual wage in May 2025: $71,900 (BLS).
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS projects employment of mental health and substance abuse social workers to grow 10.3% from 2025 to 2035, the fastest projected change among the occupations on this page.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
What each kind of social worker earns
Data One row per BLS occupation, sorted by median annual pay. Hourly pay is shown only where BLS publishes it.
| Occupation (BLS title) | Median annual pay | Median hourly | Employed | Typical entry-level education | Projected change 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Workers, All Other | $71,900 | $34.57 | 62,930 | Bachelor's degree | +2.3% |
| Healthcare Social Workers | $67,880 | $32.63 | 187,630 | Master's degree | +8.5% |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $60,280 | $28.98 | 132,810 | Master's degree | +10.3% |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $59,550 | $28.63 | 392,550 | Bachelor's degree | +4.4% |
What education do you need to be a social worker?
Data BLS typical entry-level education by occupation, 2025–35 projections. Typical, not a legal requirement; licensing rules vary by state, so check your state's licensing board.
- Bachelor's degreeSocial Workers, All Other; Child, Family, and School Social Workers
- Master's degreeHealthcare Social Workers; Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
Social workers and related careers
Data BLS group medians, May 2025. Each group is a different set of occupations; no group is better.
| Career family | BLS group | Median annual pay | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social workers | Social Workers | $61,780 | 775,930 |
| Counselors | Counselors | $60,320 | 1,035,300 |
How this page is built
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS national estimates for May 2025, for each BLS detailed occupation listed. The family figure is the BLS Social Workers group (21-1020), as published by BLS, not a TryHired calculation. Typical entry-level education and projected change are from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Which occupations count is a TryHired editorial choice, listed below.
Which occupations this page counts. Counted: the four BLS social worker occupations. Social and human service assistants are a separate occupation.
- Pay at a specific employer, union contract or school district.
- Licensing or certification rules in your state.
- Which of these careers suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025–35 (public domain): typical entry-level education and projected employment change.