Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary: $75,138 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 382,960 child, family, and school social workers nationally earn a mean of $75,138. Employment in the series shown rose about 15% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 6.1% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Child, Family, and School Social Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about child, family, and school social workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a child, family, and school social workers?
Child, Family, and School Social Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 21-1021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 382,960 workers.
What does a child, family, and school social workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a child, family, and school social workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $58,570 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $75,138 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $48,257 |
| 25th percentile | $56,382 |
| Median (50th) | $71,132 |
| 75th percentile | $90,587 |
| 90th percentile | $105,245 |
What education do you need?
For Child, Family, and School Social Workers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is child, family, and school social workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 6.1% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 34.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 80.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 382,960.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do child, family, and school social workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 382,960 | 16.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 205,850 | 9.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 177,110 | 7.7% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 151,640 | 6.6% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 146,320 | 6.4% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 146,320 | 6.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Child, Family, and School Social Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers | 1,393,310 | $62,340 |
| Special Education Teachers | 28,200 | $62,190 |
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Middle School Teachers | 620,370 | $62,970 |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
| Teachers and Instructors, All Other | 125,010 | $64,690 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Child, Family, and School Social Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
382,960 Workforce in 2023
The Child, Family, and School Social Workers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$75,138 Average Wage
In 2023, Child, Family, and School Social Workers earned an average of $75,138.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Salary distribution for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Employment Growth Projections
6.1% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
293,875 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 34.4%
394,964 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 80.6%
This occupation is projected to grow at 6.1% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Child, Family, and School Social Workers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Child, Family, and School Social Workers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Wage Trends by Industry
3.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 55,220 employees, $73,150 avg wage
- NY: 27,220 employees, $75,270 avg wage
- TX: 26,490 employees, $51,490 avg wage
- PA: 18,200 employees, $55,490 avg wage
- IL: 17,790 employees, $69,430 avg wage
- FL: 16,160 employees, $56,740 avg wage
- MI: 15,690 employees, $60,580 avg wage
- OH: 15,240 employees, $54,550 avg wage
- NC: 13,960 employees, $59,010 avg wage
- WA: 10,570 employees, $73,080 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 23,100 employees, $76,320 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 21,590 employees, $79,960 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 12,150 employees, $72,030 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 7,510 employees, $61,020 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 6,800 employees, $77,700 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 6,300 employees, $72,440 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 6,270 employees, $61,990 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 5,700 employees, $79,860 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 5,560 employees, $75,050 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 5,360 employees, $55,160 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Child, Family, and School Social Workers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Child, Family, and School Social Workers in 2023 was 382,960 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Child, Family, and School Social Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Psychology, Education.
Common majors for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Child, Family, and School Social Workers workers.
Education level distribution for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Skills
Child, Family, and School Social Workers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation.
Required skills for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Child, Family, and School Social Workers include Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, English Language, Administrative.
Knowledge areas required for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Child, Family, and School Social Workers include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Written Expression, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
Daily Activities
Child, Family, and School Social Workers spend their time on activities such as Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Child, Family, and School Social Workers.
About
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
The average yearly wage for Child, Family, and School Social Workers was $75,138 in 2023.
SOC Code
21-1021 - Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Child, Family, and School Social Workers reports an average salary of $75,138.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 382,960 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 6.1%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.