The Highest-Paid Careers in Social Work

If you feel called to a career in social work, you likely have a passion for making a positive impact in your community. While it’s well-known that social work careers are in demand, you might not know that many roles offer highly competitive salaries. In fact, the median social work salary was about 24 percent higher than the median for all other occupations in May 2024.¹

In this article, you’ll get introduced to some of the highest-paid social work careers. But first, let’s level-set what these roles entail.

What Does a Social Worker Do?

Simply put, social workers help address challenges that their clients encounter each day. They work directly with children, adults, families, and other groups to improve their well-being through an array of activities, including:

• Assessing hardships to identify how to deliver assistance
• Facilitating connections to counseling and other mental health resources
• Measuring the efficacy of treatments to make improvements
• Leading advocacy efforts to increase access to healthcare and other services

When preparing for careers in the social work field, it’s important to recognize that practitioners can pursue specializations in various industries and job settings. With each role comes unique responsibilities, not to mention varying salaries.

Eight of the Highest-Paid Social Work Careers

With so many types of social work careers to choose from, newcomers to this field must conduct research to find the best option for their altruistic and professional aspirations. Here are some of the highest-paid social work careers with general job details and the earning potential for each.

1. Social Work Administrator or Manager

This high-paying social work career is ideal for professionals interested in taking on leadership roles in community and social services. To succeed, social work administrators and managers need a firm grasp of the ways to deliver services to clients, policies affecting the social work field, and ethical standards.² In June 2025, these roles paid an average salary of $103,794 per year.³

2. Geriatric Social Worker

As detailed by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), geriatric social workers “make a profound difference in the lives of seniors, helping them to maintain their independence, dignity, and overall well-being.” Careers in geriatric social work focus on supporting aging populations across the U.S., as many elderly individuals need assistance in accessing healthcare, housing, and a variety of resources.⁴ Workers in this specialized social work area earned an average annual salary of $85,267 in June 2025.⁵

3. Social Work Program Director

As skilled administrators, program directors oversee initiatives that contribute to the mission of social work organizations. Their roles are at the heart of each project, as they initiate tasks, work hands-on to fulfill objectives, and conduct evaluations based on industry benchmarks. In June 2025, NASW reported an average base salary of $82,397 per year for program directors.⁶

4. Military Social Worker

Military social workers play an essential role in supporting active-duty service members dealing with stress and loss. They also connect veterans and their family members to critical services for finding homes, medical care, and more. Common career paths for military social workers include roles with the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense and civilian positions that focus on helping service members transition home after deployments.⁷ The average annual salary for these roles was $76,266 in June 2025.⁸

5. Child, Family, and School Social Workers in K–12 Schools

These social workers specialize in supporting the mental health and educational success of students. Practitioners working in elementary and secondary schools earned an average annual salary of $70,070 in May 2023.⁹

6. Healthcare Social Worker

Healthcare social workers support clients who are coping with the stress and trauma of medical conditions. Their responsibilities also include promoting better health outcomes and overseeing efforts to expand access to care. In May 2023, the annual mean salary for these roles was $67,430.¹⁰

7. Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker

These practitioners assist clients experiencing barriers to mental and emotional well-being, including challenges involving alcohol and drug abuse. The annual mean salary for these roles was $63,870 in May 2023.¹¹

8. Palliative and Hospice Social Worker

These practitioners support individuals and families who suffer from debilitating illnesses and need end-of-life care. Some of the common workplaces for palliative and hospice social workers include nursing homes, hospitals, correctional facilities, and various government agencies.¹² The average salary for hospice social workers was $61,819 per year in April 2025.¹³

Prepare for a Rewarding Career with a Social Work Degree

Reach your potential in this in-demand field by earning your Master of Social Work online with Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

How to Advance Your Social Work Career and Boost Your Salary

No matter the industry you choose for your social work career, there are steps you can take to reach your full potential. Here are a few ideas:

Build Qualifications for Leadership Roles

Social workers interested in leadership roles can take on more responsibility and boost their earning potential by entering social and community service management. These roles align with social work careers that focus on programs designed to improve community health. In addition to faster-than-average employment growth, social and community service management positions offered a median annual salary of $78,240 in May 2024.¹⁴

Research the Pay for Various Regions of the U.S.

Because social work salaries vary considerably nationwide, your earnings might depend on where you live. For instance, data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics⁹ shows the locations with the highest average salaries for child, school, and family social workers are:

• The District of Columbia: $76,330 per year
• New York: $74,080 per year
• New Jersey: $73,680 per year
• Maryland: $71,870 per year
• Connecticut: $70,200 per year

The average annual salary for this focus area in Minnesota is $68,510, about 16% above the national average.⁹

Pursue Social Work Licensure

An essential requirement for engaging in social work practice is to attain licensure in your state. Generally, this licensure affirms that practitioners have developed competencies for assessing client needs and helping address challenges, though the licensure requirements vary by state.

Note that earnings vary based on the type of licensure you attain. For instance, while the average salary for a licensed graduate social worker (LGSW) is $58,000 per year,¹⁵ the average licensed independent clinical social worker salary (LICSW) is $73,000.¹⁶ Of course, you must earn another career-changing credential before you qualify for licensure — your Master of Social Work degree.

Is an MSW Worth It?

The answer is yes for everyone interested in advancing in the social work field. Not only does earning an MSW allow you to fulfill the licensure requirements for positions in many states, but it also provides crucial training for deploying life-changing services when working directly with individuals and families in your community.

Here are important points to remember as you consider earning an MSW:

Master’s in Social Work Salary

MSW holders earn about 29 percent more than professionals with a bachelor’s in social work.^17,18

Job Security

Earning an MSW positions you for success in a growing field projected to average 67,300 job openings each year from 2023 to 2033.¹

Field Placement in Social Work

Earning an MSW gives you valuable hands-on experience through social work field placement opportunities.

Although field placements occur in person, some MSW programs offer online courses to make it more convenient for working professionals to continue their education. With the online Master of Social Work program from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, you will complete each course in a mostly asynchronous format that positions you for success in class and your career.

Our CSWE-accredited MSW program delivers the skills required to offer valuable support directly to clients. Moreover, the curriculum meets the clinical education hours requirements in all 50 states, preparing you to thrive in careers with Master of Social Work and licensure requirements. Request information to learn more.

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Social Workers.” April 18, 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm.
2. NASW. “Types of Social Work.” n.d. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.socialworkers.org/News/Facts/Types-of-Social-Work.
3. Salary.com. “Social Work Manager Salary in the United States.” June 1, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/social-work-manager-salary.
4. NASW. “Geriatric Social Worker Job Description.” n.d. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://joblink.socialworkers.org/career/geriatric-social-worker/job-descriptions.
5. Salary.com. “How Much Does a Geriatric Social Worker Make in the United States? (2025 Salary Guide).” June 1, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://www.salary.com/research/salary/posting/geriatric-social-worker-salary.
6. NASW, Metro DC Chapter. “Program Director Overview.” n.d. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://metrodcjobs.socialworkers.org/career/program-director.
7. NASW. “Social Work in the Armed Forces.” n.d. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/Military-Veterans/Social-Work-in-the-Armed-Forces.
8. ZipRecruiter. “Military Social Worker Salary.” June 3, 2025. Retrieved June 4, 2025, from https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Military-Social-Worker-Salary.
9. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023. “21-1021 Child, Family, and School Social Workers.” April 3, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes211021.htm.
10. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023. “21-1022 Healthcare Social Workers.” April 3, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes211022.htm.
11. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023. “21-1023 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers.” April 3, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes211023.htm.
12. NASW. “Standards for Palliative and End of Life Care.” 2004. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.socialworkers.org/Practice/NASW-Practice-Standards-Guidelines/Standards-for-Palliative-and-End-of-Life-Care.
13. Payscale. “Average Social Worker, Hospice Salary.” April 27, 2025. Retrieved May 29, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Social_Worker%2C_Hospice/Salary.
14. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. “Social and Community Service Managers.” April 18, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm.
15. Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Licensed Graduate Social Worker (LGSW).” February 28, 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Licensed_Graduate_Social_Worker_(LGSW)/Salary.
16. Payscale. “Salary for Certification: Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW).” June 17, 2025. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Licensed_Independent_Clinical_Social_Worker_(LICSW)/Salary.
17. Payscale. “Average Social Worker (BSW) Salary.” March 25, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Social_Worker_(BSW)/Salary.
18. Payscale. “Master of Social Work (MSW) Degree.” March 18, 2025. Retrieved May 30, 2025, from https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Degree=Master_of_Social_Work_(MSW)/Salary.