A social worker helps and provides support to individuals, groups, or families, who are facing problems in their lives. Their work environment varies from working in an office, in a hospital, in a school, in a government agency, or their very own clinic. A large chunk of their work also takes them out of the office and into the field to assess and provide support to individuals or groups in their actual setting.
One type of social worker is the Clinical social worker, who diagnoses, tests, and provides treatment plans for individuals who have mental, emotional, and behavioral issues.
You might also be interested in our guide to become a social worker.
Social Worker Salary
How much do social workers make? The average social worker salary is
Because there are several fields and different training for this occupation, such as child and family social workers, and healthcare social workers, the average salaries differ.
For those who work in healthcare the salary is $56,200, while those who work as child and family social workers earn an average salary of $46,270, and those who work in the field of mental health and substance abuse earn an annual average of $44,840.
Top 5 Paying States
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rhode Island | 0.38 | $34.06 | $70,850 |
 | Illinois | 0.18 | $33.15 | $68,950 |
 | Idaho | 0.71 | $32.92 | $68,470 |
 | New Jersey | 0.16 | $32.54 | $67,690 |
 | South Dakota | 0.44 | $32.38 | $67,350 |
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch | 0.66 | $34.62 | $72,020 |
| Insurance Carriers | 0.06 | $32.82 | $68,270 |
| Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 0.07 | $31.24 | $64,970 |
| Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | – | $30.63 | $63,710 |
| Offices of Physicians | 0.01 | $30.19 | $62,800 |
Social Worker Job Description
What does a social worker do? Social workers help individuals, groups, or families cope and face issues in their everyday lives.
Among the duties of a social worker are assessing the needs of clients, developing programs to improve the client/s’ well-being, referring clients to community resources such as day care and food stamps, helping clients to avail of benefits such as Medicare, and also responding to emergency situations such as domestic and/or child abuse, and following up on their client/s’ progress.
Social workers work in a number of different situations and with a wide range of individuals and groups. There are 7 different types of social workers, which are:
Child and Family Social Workers – These are those who work with children, parents, couples, and families. They attend to the needs of vulnerable children and families, help get access to food stamps and other aid, intervene with neglect and abuse, help with adoptions, locate foster families and alternative housing facilities for displaced children, and help families get back together.
Clinical Social Worker – These are licensed social workers that have the capacity to diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. They also do group, private, and couples therapy.
School Social Workers – They mostly work in schools and universities and work with parents, teachers, and school admins to create plans and programs that promote the well-being of the student population.
Healthcare Social Workers – There are different types of health care social workers as well, and these are:
Geriatric Social Workers – those who work with senior citizens and their families. They help to look for assisted living facilities and educate families on the proper care of aging family members.
Hospice Social Workers – these social workers help those who are dying. They help to lessen the emotional and physical pains of these individuals, and help their families adjust and cope with the situation.
Medical Social Workers – these social workers usually work in hospitals in cooperation with doctors and they provide patients with links to resources in the hospital and the community.
Mental Health Substance Abuse Social Workers – These social workers focus primarily on clients who have been diagnosed with a mental disorder, helping them cope with every day life, as well as support substance abusers in their road to recovery.
Social Worker Job Outlook
The projected increase in the demand for social workers from 2016 to 2026 is 16%, which is faster than other occupations. About 109,700 social worker jobs are seen to be created within these years.
The highest demand is seen to be in the field of healthcare. As the baby boomer generation is aging, more and more healthcare social workers are seen to be needed, with a projected employment increase of 20%.
The field of mental health and substance abuse social work is also seen to provide more job opportunities, with a projected employment increase of 19%.
Social Worker Salary by State
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alabama | 0.154 | $29.43 | $61,220 |
 | Alaska | 0.475 | $31.26 | $65,030 |
 | Arizona | 0.546 | $26.03 | $54,140 |
 | Arkansas | 0.527 | $21.21 | $44,130 |
 | California | 0.917 | $30.96 | $64,390 |
 | Colorado | 0.475 | $23.44 | $48,760 |
 | Connecticut | 0.173 | $27.20 | $56,580 |
 | Delaware | 0.205 | $30.04 | $62,490 |
 | Florida | 0.308 | $29.26 | $60,860 |
 | Georgia | 0.387 | $25.43 | $52,890 |
 | Hawaii | 0.471 | $32.21 | $66,990 |
| Idaho | 0.159 | $32.92 | $68,470 |
| Illinois | 0.709 | $33.15 | $68,950 |
 | Indiana | 0.207 | $27.05 | $56,270 |
 | Iowa | 0.287 | $26.58 | $55,290 |
 | Kansas | 0.431 | $22.67 | $47,160 |
 | Kentucky | 0.426 | $23.37 | $48,600 |
 | Louisiana | 0.246 | $25.91 | $53,900 |
 | Maine | 0.755 | $23.95 | $49,820 |
 | Maryland | 0.409 | $31.91 | $66,370 |
 | Massachusetts | 0.226 | $30.29 | $62,990 |
 | Michigan | 0.243 | $26.48 | $55,080 |
 | Minnesota | 0.167 | $28.50 | $59,280 |
 | Mississippi | 0.458 | $22.93 | $47,700 |
 | Missouri | 0.264 | $22.83 | $47,490 |
 | Montana | 1.654 | $19.09 | $39,710 |
 | Nebraska | (8)- | $28.31 | $58,880 |
 | Nevada | 0.198 | $31.54 | $65,600 |
 | New Hampshire | 0.2 | $27.88 | $57,990 |
| New Jersey | 0.206 | $32.54 | $67,690 |
 | New Mexico | 0.859 | $23.71 | $49,310 |
 | New York | 1.078 | $28.81 | $59,930 |
 | North Carolina | 0.267 | $22.72 | $47,260 |
 | North Dakota | 0.346 | $25.39 | $52,810 |
 | Ohio | 0.593 | $22.72 | $47,260 |
 | Oklahoma | 0.456 | $22.49 | $46,790 |
 | Oregon | 1.125 | $23.08 | $48,000 |
 | Pennsylvania | 0.18 | $28.53 | $59,340 |
| Rhode Island | 0.18 | $34.06 | $70,850 |
 | South Carolina | 0.376 | $23.40 | $48,670 |
| South Dakota | 0.198 | $32.38 | $67,350 |
 | Tennessee | 0.267 | $25.05 | $52,110 |
 | Texas | 0.174 | $29.60 | $61,560 |
 | Utah | 0.381 | $23.24 | $48,330 |
 | Vermont | 0.246 | $30.30 | $63,030 |
 | Virginia | 0.151 | $28.35 | $58,970 |
 | Washington | 0.36 | $28.33 | $58,920 |
 | West Virginia | 0.381 | $28.73 | $59,760 |
 | Wisconsin | 0.322 | $27.49 | $57,170 |
 | Wyoming | – | – | – |
Top paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara , – CA | 0.76 | $41.04 | $85,360 |
| Oakland/Fremont/Hayward, – CA – Metropolitan Division | 1.11 | $39.50 | $82,150 |
| Springfield, MA-CT | 0.19 | $38.03 | $79,100 |
| Camden ,- NJ – Metropolitan Division | 0.30 | $37.83 | $78,690 |
| Bethesda/Rockville/Frederick , MD – Metropolitan Division | 0.39 | $36.03 | $74,930 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Illinois – nonmetropolitan area | 0.92 | $36.12 | $75,130 |
| East Central, Illinois – non metropolitan area | 0.46 | $35.20 | $73,210 |
| Southern Vermont – non metropolitan area | 0.33 | $34.58 | $71,920 |
| South Florida – non metropolitan area | – | $32.73 | $68,080 |
| Southern Indiana – nonmetropolitan area | – | $31.56 | $65,650 |
