In order to become eligible for the highest paying social work jobs, as with almost all careers in the 21st century, upskilling –the chronic acquiring of new skills (especially those involving technology) is absolutely necessary. 

For social workers, in particular, upskilling involves becoming as resourceful and knowledgeable as possible. Hence, furthering education is a pillar for social workers looking to advance their careers. 

Likewise, social workers who are knowledgeable of the difference between salaries across U.S. states for social work jobs at all levels –which can vary quite considerably– can better prepare themselves for the job market –specifically with respect to not selling themselves short. 

The range of social worker salaries across the board is astounding –social workers can make anywhere from $35,000-$85,000 per year depending on the state they’re working in and what level of expertise social workers possess. 

This article will break down the information that is necessary in order to become among the highest paid social workers by explaining the pre-requisite requirements for the positions which pay the highest and the states in America with the highest salaries for such positions. 

Breaking Down the Types of Social Work Jobs and Salaries 

Salaries for social work are as varied as the sub-disciplines which exist in social work as a profession –most social work salaries are between $36,000-$82,000. Still, few are on the extreme ends of this range (and even fewer go beyond it, either negatively or positively). 

Specifically, the lowest 10 percent of earning social workers make less than $36,000 per year, while the highest 10 percent make more than $82,000 annually.

In other words, there are very few social workers who make the same numerical salary. Because there are so many different roles with so many different pre-requisite qualifications, social work is a field bound to create inequities across individual salaries.

However, average salaries for specifiable sub-disciplines exist through the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which can help social workers narrow down their choices insofar as their salary is a salient factor in choosing an area of focus for their studies. 

For instance, as of May 2021, 

• Healthcare social workers: Average Salary $60,840

• Child, family, and school social workers: Average Salary $49,150

• Mental health and substance abuse social workers $49,130

Furthermore, average salaries are also available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics concerning specific facilities in which social workers general find work, such as: 

• Local government, excluding education and hospitals, $61,190

• Ambulatory healthcare services $58,700

• State government, excluding education and hospitals, $48,090

• Individual and family services: Average Salary $46,640

In all, the median annual wage in social work careers is $50,390. 

In many U.S. cities, such as New York City and San Fransico, that isn’t even enough to afford to live in a one-bedroom apartment. Nevertheless, there are tangible ways to reach an above-average salary in social work –each of which is encapsulated in the idea of upskilling. 

Highest Paying Social Work Jobs 

All of the highest paying jobs in social work require a master’s degree in social work (MSW) or its graduate-level equivalent, such as a master’s degree in psychology.

Salaries scale with the value workers bring to the table. With more education, social workers increase their value to potential employers because they become more formally qualified to fulfill specifiable tasks. 

For example, the median annual salary for a social work professor is $78,110, in part because a master’s degree in social work qualifies you to teach social work to others in higher education facilities. 

For similar reasons, directors of corporate social responsibility make an average salary of $93,400. Where social work dovetails with academia and human resources, it seems, is where the money is. 

Few other social work career paths have an average salary as high as professors and directors of corporate responsibility. 

The next closest (employee assistance program counselors, veteran’s affairs social workers, and executive directors of non-profit organizations) are all within the $60,000 salary range –the one-bedroom apartment range in New York City!

These latter three options are not far off from the average national salary. However, national average salaries are not the only relevant statistic to consider when trying to upskill your way to a higher salary through social work. 

A factor to consider is whether the state you live in is a state where social workers are highly employable, which can be inferred from looking at the states with the highest employment levels in social work –California, Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Oregon, being the top five. 

One additional factor to consider is state-specific effects on social worker salaries. Each state in the United States has a different calculated average salary for social workers each year through their respective contributions to the Census Bureaus’ data. 

As of May 2021, the top five highest-paying states for social workers (in terms of annual mean wage) are:

1. Hawaii: Average Salary $85,760

2. Massachusetts: Average Salary $85,730

3. Washington: Average Salary $79,210

4. Nevada: Average Salary $78,120

5. New Hampshire: Average Salary $77,630

Simply working in such states increases the odds of a social worker increasing their salary beyond the national average. And while moving is not always a feasible option for some, it is one that is worth considering if increasing one’s social work salary is of true interest. 

The Utility of Learning Business Principles for Social Workers 

In a free market system, no matter what industry you are interested in, the best way to maximize your salary is to start a business. This principle applies in the case of social work, where ample business opportunities are both present and capitalized on by the savvy few.

One clear path concerning a social work business may entail setting up a private practice for mental health services. 

Therapists that work through their own private practice, when successful, can even begin hiring other social workers to bring in more clientele. 

While business skills can be learned outside of the context of a university, some schools, such as the University of Pittsburgh, offer joint master’s degrees in social work with master’s degrees in business administration. 

The utility of learning business principles before endeavoring to create a business for yourself is indispensable, as there are far more liabilities at stake as a business owner than there are for the average worker. 

One way this occurs is by putting too many eggs –and specifically, dollar bill-shaped eggs– into one basket too early in the inception of a business. 

The principle of a “lean start-up” (releasing downgraded and less expensive versions of a product or service to run trials first before moving on to more ambitious additions) is a remedy to this mistake, but its one that is seldom taught outside of formal educational institutions or books.

Hence, if you are truly interested in maximizing your salary as a social worker, you must understand business at a high level, as starting a business in some capacity will be necessary to achieve this goal.

Finally, understanding tech as part of upskilling for social workers is the most relevant when they are attempting to start and run a business. 

Simply put, if you or your team is ignorant with respect to social media marketing and the relevance of internet visibility businesses, your business is highly likely to be unsuccessful in the long run. 

Careers in Social Work

Now that you’ve gotten a breakdown of social work careers in terms of salaries, what social work career are you looking to pursue? 

While making a good living is important –and while what numerically constitutes a “good living” is eternally increasing for more and more people– working on projects you are passionate about –those which fulfill you deeply– is far more important. 

It would be unwise to choose a career as a social work professor simply because it is the second highest-paying job among social worker jobs.

The ideal candidate for a social work professor, rather, is someone who is deeply interested in teaching social work students how to become a social worker. 

While online research into social work careers can go a long way in helping students figure out what sub-discipline in social work they’d like to pursue, there is no substitute for figuring this out during graduate school.

Picture entering graduate school with an idea in your mind of wanting to become a mental health social worker. What is likely to occur is that some other topic that you are introduced to during in graduate school will compete for that spot in your mind. 

Being that going to graduate school is an absolute necessity for increasing your salary as a social worker if you aren’t sure where you’d like to go to school, check out this article on social work degrees for a comprehensive guide on choosing a school for social work furthering ed.