Salary Outlook for Clinical Social Worker
The field of clinical social work is growing in popularity as more Americans are relying on social workers to assist them with their mental health care needs. This is leading to gradually higher salaries in the field as demand rises.
To become a clinical social worker, it is required to earn your master’s degree in social work (MSW degree) or your doctorate in social work (DSW degree). Before making such significant financial and time commitments, it is critical to understand what your salary potential is. Below is salary information to help you make your educational decision.
Clinical Social Worker Salary Information
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that the median salary for all social workers is $58,380. The lowest 10% earn $38,400 or less, and the top 10% earn $94,910 or more. Professionals with a master’s degree or DSW generally work as advanced practitioners or educators in social work and earn the highest salaries.
SEE ALSO: DSW Salary Outlook
The BLS tracks several categories of specialized social workers, listed here with their median annual salaries:
- Healthcare social workers – $62,940
- Mental health and substance abuse social workers – $55,960
- Child, family, and school social workers – $53,940
- All other social workers – $63,770
The type of workplace has a significant influence on salary. Average salaries are listed here according to type of workplace and social work specialization:
| Healthcare | Mental Health and Substance Abuse | Child, Family, and School | All Other | |
| Outpatient care centers | $74,240 | $60,710 | $53,150 | $54,150 |
| Individual and family services | $55,590 | $55,220 | $50,780 | $49,470 |
| Offices of other health practitioners | $71,100 | $83,550 | $63,780 | $48,810 |
| Local government, excluding schools and hospitals | $61,990 | $66,430 | $68,500 | $65,880 |
| Residential intellectual and developmental disability, mental health, and substance abuse facilities | $48,780 | $49,150 | $48,900 | $46,630 |
| General hospitals | $76,520 | $75,180 | $67,080 | $72,690 |
| Home health care services | $72,990 | $93,400 | $75,440 | $64,130 |
| Elementary and secondary schools | $60,590 | $61,160 | $70,070 | $55,030 |
| Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services | $49,660 | $47,190 | $47,820 | $48,720 |
| State government, excluding schools and hospitals | $59,780 | $69,880 | $57,080 | $55,070 |
How Much Clinical Social Workers Make by State
The BLS tracks state-level data on social worker salaries. Child, family, and school social workers make up 47% of the entire social worker workforce, so we’ll use salary data for these professionals to represent what you can expect for all social worker salaries at the state level.
Average social worker salaries by state
| Hourly | Annual | |
| District of Columbia | $36.70 | $76,330 |
| New York | $35.62 | $74,080 |
| New Jersey | $35.42 | $73,680 |
| Maryland | $34.55 | $71,870 |
| Connecticut | $33.75 | $70,200 |
| California | $33.34 | $69,340 |
| Minnesota | $32.94 | $68,510 |
| Rhode Island | $32.47 | $67,540 |
| Hawaii | $32.36 | $67,300 |
| Alaska | $31.65 | $65,840 |
| Washington | $31.18 | $64,860 |
| Massachusetts | $31.13 | $64,750 |
| Colorado | $31.10 | $64,690 |
| Illinois | $30.57 | $63,590 |
| Maine | $30.30 | $63,030 |
| Oregon | $30.18 | $62,780 |
| North Dakota | $30.05 | $62,510 |
| Virginia | $29.65 | $61,680 |
| New Hampshire | $29.23 | $60,810 |
| Vermont | $28.89 | $60,090 |
| Idaho | $28.61 | $59,520 |
| Nevada | $28.39 | $59,060 |
| Wisconsin | $27.59 | $57,380 |
| Michigan | $27.29 | $56,760 |
| New Mexico | $26.33 | $54,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $26.04 | $54,160 |
| Utah | $25.83 | $53,720 |
| Indiana | $25.81 | $53,690 |
| North Carolina | $25.78 | $53,630 |
| Wyoming | $25.67 | $53,390 |
| Iowa | $25.26 | $52,540 |
| Tennessee | $25.03 | $52,070 |
| Kansas | $24.91 | $51,810 |
| Ohio | $24.62 | $51,210 |
| Georgia | $24.43 | $50,810 |
| Louisiana | $24.38 | $50,710 |
| Texas | $24.34 | $50,630 |
| Florida | $24.12 | $50,160 |
| Arizona | $23.93 | $49,770 |
| South Dakota | $23.93 | $49,770 |
| Montana | $23.72 | $49,330 |
| Delaware | $23.18 | $48,210 |
| Arkansas | $23.04 | $47,930 |
| Alabama | $22.91 | $47,650 |
| Nebraska | $22.89 | $47,620 |
| Kentucky | $22.30 | $46,390 |
| West Virginia | $22.24 | $46,260 |
| South Carolina | $21.62 | $44,960 |
| Missouri | $21.34 | $44,380 |
| Oklahoma | $20.97 | $43,610 |
| Mississippi | $20.55 | $42,750 |
Job Outlook for Clinical Social Workers
Social worker employment prospects are looking bright in the coming years. The BLS reports that in general social workers should see their number of jobs increase by 7% between 2023 and 2033. The national rate for all jobs is 4%.
More specifically, rates of job increase projections vary depending on the type of social work specialization:
- Mental health and substance abuse social workers – 11.6%
- Healthcare social workers – 9.7%
- All other social workers – 5.5%
- Child, family, and school social workers – 4.9%
Higher demand for social services and healthcare will increase the need for social workers. Healthcare and clinical social workers will be needed to help the aging US population and their families grow accustomed to new medications, lifestyles, and treatments.
Summary
The growing need for healthcare and clinical social workers in the United States will lead to growing salaries in the next decade. Earning a master’s or doctoral degree in social work offers you the ability to earn a salary in the top 10% range with sufficient experience.
May 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and labor market information for Social Workers, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers, Child, Family, and School Social Workers, and Social Workers, all other is based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2025.