Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 21-1021 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$59,550
$28.63/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Child, Family, and School Social Workers is $59,550 per year ($28.63/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $48,277 and $76,066 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $95,534 per year. There are approximately 392,550 child, family, and school social workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.4%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
35K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
400K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
90K
$50,430
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
80K
$66,500
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
74K
$62,310
Elementary and Secondary Schools
NAICS 611100
65K
$69,620
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services
NAICS 624200
14K
$50,190
Wage range across top 5 industries: $50,190 to $69,620 (39% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$20.33
$42,286
P25
$23.21
$48,277
P50MEDIAN
$28.63
$59,550
P75
$36.57
$76,066
P90
$45.93
$95,534
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · professional sector
Cooling
Openings Rate
4.2%
Quits Rate
2.0%
Professional & Business Services openings tumbled 318K in March -- the largest single-sector drop in this release. Openings rate fell from 5.5% to 4.2%. Layoffs jumped to 527K (+99K). White-collar demand has cooled abruptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average child, family, and school social workers salary?
The national median salary for Child, Family, and School Social Workers is $59,550 per year ($28.63/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $48,277 and $76,066 annually.
How much do top-earning child, family, and school social workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Child, Family, and School Social Workers is $95,534 per year ($45.93/hr). The 75th percentile is $76,066 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for child, family, and school social workers?
Entry-level Child, Family, and School Social Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $42,286 per year ($20.33/hr). The 25th percentile is $48,277 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
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