Explore Salary Data
Filter by state, credential, setting, and year range to find relevant salary data. Showing 1937 records.
Do you have questions about the data?
Our AI assistant has access to all 1,937 salary records. Ask about trends, compare states, or get personalized insights.
1,937
Records
52
States
$71,582
Avg Salary
2021-2026
Date Range
Which credentials pay the most?
Average annual salary by license type, based on self-reported data
Where do social workers earn the most?
Top states ranked by average salary — hover for min/max range
Lighter bars indicate fewer reports — interpret with caution
How have social work salaries changed over time?
Average reported salary over time, tracked across survey periods from 2021 to 2026
Smaller, lighter dots indicate fewer reports — interpret with caution
Does more experience mean higher pay?
Average salary by years of experience, based on self-reported data
Lighter bars indicate fewer reports — interpret with caution
What the numbers tell us
A plain-language look at the 1,937 salary reports matching your filters. Everything here comes from what social workers shared themselves, so treat it as a helpful reference rather than a definitive benchmark.
The big picture
We're looking at 1,937 salary reports from social workers across 52 states, shared between 2021-2026. On average, respondents reported earning about $71,582 per year. The most commonly reported credential is MSW (Master of Social Work), with 333 people sharing their salary (averaging $66,573).
How credentials affect pay
Your license or credential can make a real difference in take-home pay. LICSW holders report the highest average at $89,081 (based on 42 reports), while BSW holders average $56,222 (from 166 reports) — that's a gap of about $32,859 a year. We have enough data to compare 9 different credential types.
Where you work matters
Location is one of the biggest factors in social work pay. District of Columbia comes in at the top with an average of $109,430 (salaries ranged from $46,600 to $200,000), while Mississippi is on the lower end at $42,010. That's a $67,420 difference between the top and bottom states — though keep in mind that cost of living varies widely too.
Are salaries going up?
Between Jan 2021 and Jan 2026, average reported salaries went up by about $19,476 (32%), moving from $60,199 to $79,675. The highest average we saw was $90,426 during the Sep 2025 period. Keep in mind that fewer people reporting in a given period can cause the numbers to jump around, so don't read too much into any single point.
Does experience pay off?
Those just starting out (0–3 years) report earning around $61,747 on average. Mid-career social workers (5–10 years) average $77,623. Seasoned professionals (10+ years) bring in about $95,377. So yes — experience does tend to pay off, with a roughly $33,630 bump over the course of a career.
Which settings pay the most?
Where you practice also shapes your paycheck. VA roles tend to pay the most, averaging $93,231 (from 60 reports), while Nonprofit roles come in lower at $57,573 (from 118 reports). Across the 19 work settings we have enough data on, the difference between the best- and lowest-paid is about $35,658.
Presented by
Powerfully Simple Case Management Software