Healthcare Social Workers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for healthcare social workers in the U.S. is $67,880 ($32.63 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $67,880
- Mean annual wage
- $71,790
- Median hourly wage
- $32.63
- Employment
- 187,630
187,630 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $46,220 | $22.22 |
| 25th percentile | $56,710 | $27.27 |
| Median (50th) | $67,880 | $32.63 |
| 75th percentile | $82,240 | $39.54 |
| 90th percentile | $100,360 | $48.25 |
Highest-paying states for healthcare social workers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $94,100 | 420 |
| California | $89,660 | 17,690 |
| Hawaii | $85,420 | 660 |
| Oregon | $84,350 | 2,320 |
| New Jersey | $82,690 | 4,310 |
| Vermont | $81,140 | 250 |
| Connecticut | $79,900 | 1,650 |
| Washington | $78,570 | 5,180 |
| Nevada | $78,470 | 1,160 |
| New Hampshire | $78,260 | 590 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $55,640 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $56,120 median annual wage
- Montana: $57,090 median annual wage
- South Dakota: $57,510 median annual wage
- Missouri: $59,870 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
- Conduct social research to advance knowledge in the social work field.
- Plan discharge from care facility to home or other care facility.
- Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan.
- Identify environmental impediments to client or patient progress through interviews and review of patient records.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Master's degree
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 2.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 13.1% |
| Some college, no degree | 13.9% |
| Associate's degree | 5.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 28.0% |
| Master's degree | 35.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.7% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors$59,350
- Social and Human Service Assistants$45,930
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers$60,280
- Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other$56,730
- Rehabilitation Counselors$46,850
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$66,270
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.