SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 21-1022.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $46,220 | $3,852 | $889 | $22.22 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $56,710 | $4,726 | $1,091 | $27.27 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $67,880 | $5,657 | $1,305 | $32.63 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $82,240 | $6,853 | $1,582 | $39.54 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $100,360 | $8,363 | $1,930 | $48.25 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Healthcare Social Workers is $67,880, which is 33% higher. Among the 17 occupations of the field Community and Social Service, it ranks number 2 by median pay. With 187,630 jobs, it makes up about 12 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Healthcare Social Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($94,100), California ($89,660) and Hawaii ($85,420). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($36,050), Arkansas ($55,640) and Oklahoma ($56,120). The most jobs were in New York (20,440), California (17,690) and Texas (10,880). The occupation is most concentrated in New York, where its share of all jobs is 1.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 420 | $94,100 | $93,120 | $45.24 |
| California | 17,690 | $89,660 | $93,840 | $43.11 |
| Hawaii | 660 | $85,420 | $82,370 | $41.07 |
| Oregon | 2,320 | $84,350 | $85,830 | $40.55 |
| New Jersey | 4,310 | $82,690 | $85,340 | $39.76 |
| Vermont | 250 | $81,140 | $82,720 | $39.01 |
| Connecticut | 1,650 | $79,900 | $83,290 | $38.41 |
| Washington | 5,180 | $78,570 | $81,040 | $37.77 |
| Nevada | 1,160 | $78,470 | $78,240 | $37.73 |
| New Hampshire | 590 | $78,260 | $80,160 | $37.63 |
| Utah | 1,750 | $78,150 | $78,270 | $37.57 |
| Maryland | 4,750 | $76,440 | $72,140 | $36.75 |
| Massachusetts | 7,220 | $76,440 | $77,000 | $36.75 |
| Rhode Island | 630 | $75,390 | $73,020 | $36.25 |
| Idaho | 750 | $74,500 | $71,470 | $35.82 |
| Minnesota | 2,430 | $73,970 | $73,510 | $35.56 |
| New York | 20,440 | $73,070 | $75,170 | $35.13 |
| Maine | 790 | $71,610 | $70,860 | $34.43 |
| Texas | 10,880 | $69,990 | $69,990 | $33.65 |
| Michigan | 4,860 | $67,600 | $69,940 | $32.50 |
| Wisconsin | 3,770 | $66,910 | $69,510 | $32.17 |
| Virginia | 3,070 | $66,550 | $69,390 | $31.99 |
| New Mexico | 1,200 | $65,930 | $67,170 | $31.70 |
| Florida | 10,520 | $64,820 | $66,920 | $31.16 |
| Delaware | 780 | $64,620 | $67,360 | $31.07 |
| Indiana | 3,890 | $64,580 | $68,370 | $31.05 |
| Kansas | 1,360 | $64,440 | $64,860 | $30.98 |
| Illinois | 4,910 | $64,270 | $68,190 | $30.90 |
| Kentucky | 1,980 | $64,080 | $64,960 | $30.81 |
| Arizona | 3,100 | $64,030 | $68,330 | $30.79 |
| Ohio | 8,930 | $63,610 | $65,350 | $30.58 |
| Colorado | 3,670 | $63,480 | $67,170 | $30.52 |
| North Carolina | 5,120 | $63,280 | $64,720 | $30.42 |
| Iowa | 1,550 | $63,050 | $63,560 | $30.31 |
| North Dakota | 330 | $62,860 | $65,300 | $30.22 |
| Georgia | 6,970 | $62,420 | $64,910 | $30.01 |
| Nebraska | 980 | $62,420 | $63,680 | $30.01 |
| Wyoming | 180 | $62,260 | $67,410 | $29.93 |
| Mississippi | 1,890 | $62,250 | $60,300 | $29.93 |
| Alaska | 480 | $62,000 | $68,370 | $29.81 |
| Pennsylvania | 9,630 | $61,900 | $65,690 | $29.76 |
| Tennessee | 5,970 | $61,240 | $62,750 | $29.44 |
| Louisiana | 1,970 | $61,080 | $63,510 | $29.37 |
| South Carolina | 3,100 | $60,840 | $62,020 | $29.25 |
| West Virginia | 1,100 | $60,140 | $63,470 | $28.92 |
| Alabama | 2,850 | $60,000 | $58,360 | $28.85 |
| Missouri | 4,430 | $59,870 | $60,560 | $28.79 |
| South Dakota | 790 | $57,510 | $59,640 | $27.65 |
| Montana | 840 | $57,090 | $59,510 | $27.45 |
| Guam | 100 | $56,990 | $58,290 | $27.40 |
| Oklahoma | 2,310 | $56,120 | $57,480 | $26.98 |
| Arkansas | 1,250 | $55,640 | $56,980 | $26.75 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,200 | $36,050 | $39,280 | $17.33 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Social Workers, All Other$71,900 a year
- Marriage and Family Therapists$66,940 a year
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$66,270 a year
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330 a year
Common questions
How much do Healthcare Social Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $67,880 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,220 and the highest-paid 10% more than $100,360.
How many people work as Healthcare Social Workers?
About 187,630 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.