Pay, location & work-life context
Social Worker Salary Map by State (2026)
Median social worker pay across 50 states from real job listings — switch views to adjust for cost of living or overlay burnout scores. Medians blend permanent salaries with annualized locums/contract rates. National median: $82,160.
Highest median
Hawaii
$117,500
Best real purchasing power
Arkansas
$135,155 adjusted
Best lifestyle score
Arkansas
7.8/10 avg burnout score
Compare state markets
Choose a metric, then select a state to see its figures and available breakdown.
Tile positions are approximate, not geographic boundaries. Selection adds an outline without changing the metric color. Work-life scores describe listings, not surveyed clinician burnout.
Social Worker pay by state
Sorted by median advertised pay. On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to compare all metrics.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Take-home, COL-adj. | Work-life score | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $117,500 | $106,866 | $95,111 | 5.7/10 | 23 |
| Arkansas | $117,500 | $135,155 | $129,884 | 7.8/10 | 9 |
| Oregon | $105,685 | $102,248 | $92,126 | 5.5/10 | 66 |
| Washington | $102,500 | $95,783 | $95,783 | 5.6/10 | 132 |
| Vermont | $100,000 | $102,085 | $93,152 | 5.6/10 | 17 |
| California | $97,765 | $88,299 | $80,087 | 5.4/10 | 706 |
| Alaska | $96,720 | $94,491 | $94,491 | 4.5/10 | 9 |
| Utah | $94,151 | $95,233 | $90,900 | 5.6/10 | 38 |
| Oklahoma | $92,000 | $104,732 | $99,758 | 6.4/10 | 10 |
| Kentucky | $91,000 | $100,933 | $96,895 | 6.8/10 | 35 |
| Rhode Island | $89,721 | $87,721 | $82,466 | 6.5/10 | 29 |
| Nevada | $88,500 | $88,519 | $88,519 | 5.9/10 | 23 |
| New Jersey | $87,500 | $80,419 | $75,296 | 5.5/10 | 191 |
| Massachusetts | $85,500 | $80,846 | $76,803 | 5.5/10 | 225 |
| Arizona | $85,000 | $84,428 | $82,318 | 6.4/10 | 75 |
| New Hampshire | $83,200 | $79,873 | $79,873 | 6.3/10 | 28 |
| Iowa | $82,992 | $94,565 | $90,971 | 6.5/10 | 14 |
| Florida | $82,500 | $79,776 | $79,776 | 6.3/10 | 132 |
| Wyoming | $82,098 | $88,572 | $88,572 | 6.8/10 | 6 |
| Delaware | $82,046 | $82,204 | $76,778 | 6.3/10 | 29 |
| Connecticut | $81,304 | $78,471 | $72,986 | 5.7/10 | 41 |
| Louisiana | $81,120 | $91,965 | $89,207 | 6.2/10 | 18 |
| Colorado | $80,000 | $77,631 | $74,215 | 5.6/10 | 129 |
| Illinois | $79,571 | $79,604 | $75,664 | 5.3/10 | 254 |
| New York | $79,500 | $73,665 | $68,619 | 5.4/10 | 679 |
| Maryland | $79,040 | $75,306 | $70,976 | 5.8/10 | 190 |
| New Mexico | $79,000 | $85,672 | $80,617 | 5.2/10 | 28 |
| Mississippi | $78,884 | $90,720 | $86,729 | 5.8/10 | 5 |
| Virginia | $78,500 | $77,643 | $73,178 | 5.6/10 | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $77,500 | $79,429 | $76,990 | 6.2/10 | 124 |
| West Virginia | $76,600 | $85,589 | $81,464 | 5.5/10 | 16 |
| Minnesota | $76,274 | $77,341 | $69,722 | 6.2/10 | 150 |
| Missouri | $76,000 | $83,685 | $79,752 | 6.1/10 | 46 |
| South Dakota | $76,000 | $85,792 | $85,792 | 5.6/10 | 16 |
| Kansas | $75,970 | $84,347 | $79,641 | 6.0/10 | 28 |
| Wisconsin | $75,500 | $80,238 | $75,985 | 6.5/10 | 106 |
| Idaho | $74,880 | $78,413 | $73,948 | 4.9/10 | 9 |
| Alabama | $74,724 | $84,127 | $79,921 | 6.4/10 | 13 |
| Montana | $74,266 | $78,468 | $73,838 | 6.6/10 | 13 |
| Georgia | $73,000 | $75,810 | $71,724 | 5.9/10 | 63 |
| North Carolina | $72,814 | $77,194 | $73,913 | 6.2/10 | 124 |
| Indiana | $72,500 | $77,682 | $75,352 | 6.1/10 | 39 |
| Michigan | $72,500 | $75,351 | $72,148 | 6.0/10 | 114 |
| Texas | $72,000 | $74,183 | $74,183 | 5.6/10 | 146 |
| Maine | $71,500 | $73,673 | $68,406 | 5.0/10 | 39 |
| North Dakota | $67,080 | $75,406 | $73,520 | 5.7/10 | 10 |
| Ohio | $65,520 | $70,623 | $68,151 | 5.9/10 | 104 |
| South Carolina | $65,520 | $69,889 | $65,556 | 5.7/10 | 18 |
| Nebraska | $62,785 | $69,681 | $66,058 | 6.5/10 | 11 |
| Tennessee | $59,800 | $65,092 | $65,092 | 6.0/10 | 34 |
Common questions
Which state pays social workers the most?
Hawaii currently has the highest median social worker salary at $117,500, based on 23 real job listings. Adjusted for cost of living, Arkansas offers the highest real purchasing power at $135,155.
Which state offers the best after-tax social worker pay?
Arkansas currently leads the take-home view at $129,884 — the state median after its state income tax (Tax Foundation state income tax rates (2025)), divided by the local cost-of-living index. No-income-tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee often outrank nominally higher-paying states here.
Why adjust social worker salaries for cost of living?
Prices differ across states. The adjusted view divides each state's pay benchmark by its regional price index (U.S. average = 100). Source: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). This is a state-level comparison, not a personal budget or a city-level cost estimate. Missing price data is shown as unavailable.
Which state has the best social worker lifestyle scores?
Arkansas currently has the highest average WeekdayDoc burnout score (7.8/10, higher is better) for social worker listings — a measure of call burden, weekend requirements, and schedule flexibility across postings.
More salary maps
See the full percentile breakdown on the Social Worker salary page.