Social Workers

The more education a social worker has completed, the more money he or she stands to make in the profession. The area of practice also determines earnings; healthcare social workers typically earn higher median annual salaries than those specializing in child, family, and school social work or mental health and substance abuse. Salaries also vary among regions. Social workers on the east and west coasts earn higher salaries than those in the Midwest. Earnings in Canada vary from province to province as well. During their first five years of practice, social workers' salaries generally increase faster than in later years.

Social workers in general earned median wages of $58,380 as of May 2023. The lowest paid 10 percent garnered no more than $38,400 annually, and the highest paid took home $94,910 or more. Child, family, and school social workers earned a median salary of $53,940 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Health care social workers' had a median salary of $62,940. Mental health and substance abuse social workers earned a median salary of $55,960.