How much does a Social Worker (MSW) make in the United States? The average Social Worker (MSW) salary in the United States is $72,276 as of March 26, 2024, but the range typically falls between $65,459 and $79,690. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target. 

Social Worker (MSW) Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Social Worker (MSW) Salary $59,254 US March 26, 2024
25th Percentile Social Worker (MSW) Salary $65,459 US March 26, 2024
50th Percentile Social Worker (MSW) Salary $72,276 US March 26, 2024
75th Percentile Social Worker (MSW) Salary $79,690 US March 26, 2024
90th Percentile Social Worker (MSW) Salary $86,440 US March 26, 2024
25% $65,459 10% $59,254 90% $86,440 75% $79,690 $72,276 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
Change Search Criteria

What skills does a Social Worker (MSW) need?

Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.

Planning: An act or process of making or carrying out plans. Establishment of goals, policies, and procedures for a social or economic unit city planning business planning.

2.

Geriatrics: Geriatrics, or geriatric medicine, is a medical specialty focused on providing care for the unique health needs of older adults. The term geriatrics originates from the Greek geron meaning "old man", and iatros meaning "healer".

3.

Patient Care: Patient care refers to the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of physical and mental well-being through services offered by health professionals.

Planning 7.52%
Geriatrics 1.09%
Patient Care 2.12%
Others 89.27%

Job Description for Social Worker (MSW)

Social Worker (MSW) interviews clients and their families and coordinates and plans programs and activities to meet their social and emotional needs. Provides crisis intervention and assists families in understanding the implications and complexities of the life situation and its impact on lifestyle. Being a Social Worker (MSW) provides professional social work assistance to clients and families as related to illness, disease, hospitalization, financial and educational needs by utilizing a variety of modalities in all areas of service. Responsibilities also include involvement in the discharge planning process. Additionally, Social Worker (MSW) requires a master's degree. Typically reports to a manager. Social Worker (MSW)'s years of experience requirement may be unspecified. Certification and/or licensing in the position's specialty is the main requirement. (Copyright 2024 Salary.com)... View full job description

Employers: Job Description Management Tool

See user submitted job responsibilities for Social Worker (MSW).

Salary.com job board provides millions of Social Worker (MSW) information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Social Worker (MSW) job openings or enter a new job title here.

Job Openings for Social Worker (MSW)
  • Social Worker, MSW. Inspira Health. Bridgeton, NJ. The region’s leading network of healthcare providers, Inspira Health is seeking a full-time *Social Work...
    - 5 Days Ago
  • Enrich lives as a nursing center Social Services Specialist where you will work with patients/residents and their family members/significant others to iden...
    - Just Posted
  • Enrich lives as a nursing center Social Services Specialist where you will work with patients/residents and their family members/significant others to iden...
    - Just Posted
  • Enrich lives as a nursing center Social Services Specialist where you will work with patients/residents and their family members/significant others to iden...
    - Just Posted
  • Enrich lives as a nursing center Social Services Specialist where you will work with patients/residents and their family members/significant others to iden...
    - Just Posted
Not the job you're looking for? Search more salaries here:
See if your skills match up? Check skills for Social Worker (MSW)

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst

Social Worker (MSW) salary varies from city to city. Compared with national average salary of Social Worker (MSW), the highest Social Worker (MSW) salary is in San Francisco, CA, where the Social Worker (MSW) salary is 25.0% above. The lowest Social Worker (MSW) salary is in Miami, FL, where the Social Worker (MSW) salary is 3.5% lower than national average salary.

City, State Compared to national average
City, State San Francisco, CA Compared to national average
+ 25.0%
City, State Washington, DC Compared to national average
+ 11.3%
City, State Miami, FL Compared to national average
-3.5%
City, State Chicago, IL Compared to national average
+ 4.9%
City, State Boston, MA Compared to national average
+ 12.1%
City, State New York, NY Compared to national average
+ 16.8%
City, State Dallas, TX Compared to national average
-1.3%

Take just three simple steps below to generate your own personalized salary report

Step 1 of 3

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Social Worker (MSW), base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
65459
79690
72276

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
65628
79867
72401
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Social Worker (MSW) in the United States. The base salary for Social Worker (MSW) ranges from $65,459 to $79,690 with the average base salary of $72,276. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $65,628 to $79,867 with the average total cash compensation of $72,401.
Step 2 of 3

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid?

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

65459
79690

 

Step 3 of 3

How much should you be paid?

View the Cost of Living in Major Cities

Skills associated with Social Worker (MSW): Group Therapy, Needs Assessment, Crisis Management, Service Coordination ...More

Recently searched related titles: Child Support Officer, Child Advocate, Social Services Coordinator

Recently searched related titles: Archives Director, Intake Social Worker, Medical Application Specialist

Jobs with a similar salary range to Social Worker (MSW) : Behavioral Health Counselor, Family Worker, Service Officer, Patient Financial Advocate

Salary estimation for Social Worker (MSW) at companies like : K D J Group LLC, NW Career and Technical High School, Jfk Medical Inc

Jobs with a similar salary range to Social Worker (MSW) : Mobile Crisis Clinician, Hospice Msw, Adoption Worker

Social Worker (MSW) Salary in United States
Social Worker (MSW) Salary Graph, Regional Distribution and Summary