Healthcare Social Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 21-1022 · National · May 2024 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$68,099
$32.74/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated Apr 3, 2025
Source: BLS OEWS · Published Apr 2, 2025
Next refresh: May 15, 2026
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The national median salary for Healthcare Social Workers is $68,099 per year ($32.74/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $55,370 and $83,408 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $100,880 per year. There are approximately 185,940 healthcare social workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+7.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
18K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
193K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
8% from new growth92% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Master's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Internship/residency
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
48K
$78,870
Home Health Care Services
NAICS 621600
25K
$71,740
Individual and Family Services
NAICS 624100
23K
$56,860
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
NAICS 623100
15K
$61,170
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
12K
$74,800
Wage range across top 5 industries: $56,860 to $78,870 (39% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$21.65
$45,032
P25
$26.62
$55,370
P50MEDIAN
$32.74
$68,099
P75
$40.10
$83,408
P90
$48.50
$100,880
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 healthcare social workers salary?
The national median salary for Healthcare Social Workers is $68,099 per year ($32.74/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $55,370 and $83,408 annually.
How much do top-earning healthcare social workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Healthcare Social Workers is $100,880 per year ($48.50/hr). The 75th percentile is $83,408 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for healthcare social workers?
Entry-level Healthcare Social Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $45,032 per year ($21.65/hr). The 25th percentile is $55,370 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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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