Social Workers, All Other Salary: $69,480 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 64,940 social workers, all other work nationally, and $69,480 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 23% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.0% annual decline.
Social Workers, All Other: what the data shows
Common questions about social workers, all other careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a social workers, all other?
Social Workers, All Other is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 21-1029.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 64,940 workers.
What does a social workers, all other 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 social workers, all other make?
BLS national median annual wage: $69,480 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $83,694 — 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 | $46,377 |
| 25th percentile | $56,721 |
| Median (50th) | $72,354 |
| 75th percentile | $108,357 |
| 90th percentile | $137,611 |
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 social workers, all other in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.0% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -14.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -26.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 64,940.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do social workers, all others work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 64,940 | 17.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 44,900 | 11.9% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 43,460 | 11.5% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 43,460 | 11.5% |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 20,840 | 5.5% |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | 20,840 | 5.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Social Workers, All Other 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Genetic Counselors | 3,510 | $98,910 |
| Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors | — | — |
| Mental Health Counselors | — | — |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | 342,350 | $65,140 |
| Credit Counselors | 28,110 | $50,480 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | 382,960 | $58,570 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | 36,970 | $100,340 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Social Workers, All Other workforce.
Employment Over Time
64,940 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Social Workers, All Other shrank from 36,020 in 2009 to 22,220 in 2025 (38.3%).
Historical employment for Social Workers, All Other from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$69,480 Median pay (BLS national)
Social Workers, All Other earn $69,480 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Social Workers, All Other.
Salary distribution for Social Workers, All Other.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
19,106 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -14.0%
16,429 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -26.1%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Social Workers, All Other.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Social Workers, All Other and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Social Workers, All Other employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Social Workers, All Other.
Wage Trends by Industry
15.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Social Workers, All Other.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Social Workers, All Other.
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:
- MN: 7,240 employees, $78,900 avg wage
- CA: 5,780 employees, $81,480 avg wage
- FL: 5,070 employees, $67,540 avg wage
- NY: 3,190 employees, $77,970 avg wage
- OR: 3,130 employees, $66,440 avg wage
- OH: 2,960 employees, $67,090 avg wage
- TX: 2,700 employees, $86,420 avg wage
- AZ: 2,580 employees, $67,720 avg wage
- CO: 2,480 employees, $67,500 avg wage
- WI: 2,420 employees, $66,330 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Social Workers, All Other.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 4,690 employees, $79,350 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 2,250 employees, $77,380 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 1,870 employees, $65,870 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 1,560 employees, $78,370 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 1,370 employees, $69,600 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 1,230 employees, $66,840 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,140 employees, $78,110 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 1,010 employees, $70,850 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 970 employees, $78,060 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 940 employees, $88,890 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Social Workers, All Other.
Diversity
Demographic information on Social Workers, All Other in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Social Workers, All Other is about 64,940 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Social Workers, All Other.
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 Social Workers, All Other.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Social Workers, All Other.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Social Workers, All Other in 2023 were Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Social Workers, All Other.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Social Workers, All Other workers.
Education level distribution for Social Workers, All Other.
Skills
Social Workers, All Other need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation.
Required skills for Social Workers, All Other.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Social Workers, All Other.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Social Workers, All Other include Customer and Personal Service, Therapy and Counseling, Psychology, English Language, Administrative.
Knowledge areas required for Social Workers, All Other.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Social Workers, All Other include Oral Expression, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Written Expression, Written Comprehension.
Required abilities for Social Workers, All Other.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Social Workers, All Other.
Daily Activities
Social Workers, All Other 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 Social Workers, All Other.
About
Social Workers, All Other
Social Workers, All Other earn $69,480 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
21-1029 - Social Workers, All Other
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Social Workers, All Other reports an average salary of $83,694.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 64,940 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.0%, 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.