Research Summary. The Zippia data science team has conducted comprehensive research to unveil the dynamics of social work internship salaries across the United States in 2026:
-
Alaska boasts the highest social work internship salary at $65,442
-
Louisiana remains the state with the lowest social work internship salary at $27,529
-
The national average salary for social work interns stands at $37,178
-
The national hourly wage for social work interns is $17.87
For a deeper understanding of our methodology, you can read more here.
Background
In surveys across various demographics, the most crucial factor for job seekers remains salary — how much do social work interns earn in my area?
While your specific salary may vary based on city and organization, we present robust data on average salaries for social work internships by state, categorized by experience level. This information provides a general idea of what you can expect to earn in your role.
Currently, the best-paying state for social work interns is Alaska.
Here’s a brief overview of the top ten states for social work internship salaries:
Let’s delve into the detailed rankings of all states.
Highest-Paid Social Work Interns By State
| Rank | State | Average Social Work Internship Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $65,442 | $57,000 | $73,000 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $53,664 | $41,000 | $68,000 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $49,797 | $43,000 | $57,000 |
| 4 | Washington | $49,623 | $37,000 | $64,000 |
| 5 | Oregon | $49,410 | $37,000 | $65,000 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $45,939 | $32,000 | $65,000 |
| 7 | Idaho | $45,664 | $34,000 | $60,000 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $43,819 | $31,000 | $61,000 |
| 9 | California | $43,782 | $31,000 | $60,000 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $43,231 | $31,000 | $59,000 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $43,140 | $31,000 | $58,000 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $42,936 | $32,000 | $56,000 |
| 13 | Iowa | $42,757 | $31,000 | $58,000 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $41,908 | $30,000 | $57,000 |
| 15 | Illinois | $41,844 | $30,000 | $57,000 |
| 16 | Vermont | $41,343 | $30,000 | $55,000 |
| 17 | Nevada | $40,837 | $29,000 | $56,000 |
| 18 | New York | $40,254 | $28,000 | $57,000 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $39,413 | $27,000 | $56,000 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $39,045 | $29,000 | $52,000 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $38,850 | $27,000 | $55,000 |
| 22 | Maine | $38,808 | $29,000 | $51,000 |
| 23 | Colorado | $38,593 | $28,000 | $52,000 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $37,560 | $27,000 | $51,000 |
| 25 | Montana | $37,463 | $29,000 | $48,000 |
| 26 | Ohio | $36,846 | $26,000 | $51,000 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $36,598 | $27,000 | $48,000 |
| 28 | Kansas | $36,400 | $26,000 | $49,000 |
| 29 | Michigan | $36,336 | $26,000 | $50,000 |
| 30 | Maryland | $36,200 | $25,000 | $51,000 |
| 31 | Arizona | $35,780 | $26,000 | $49,000 |
| 32 | Virginia | $35,633 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| 33 | Florida | $34,672 | $25,000 | $47,000 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $34,175 | $25,000 | $46,000 |
| 35 | Utah | $34,093 | $25,000 | $45,000 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $33,562 | $24,000 | $46,000 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $33,049 | $23,000 | $46,000 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $32,802 | $23,000 | $45,000 |
| 39 | Missouri | $32,036 | $23,000 | $44,000 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $31,289 | $22,000 | $42,000 |
| 41 | Texas | $31,177 | $22,000 | $42,000 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $31,010 | $22,000 | $42,000 |
| 43 | Georgia | $30,465 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 44 | Delaware | $30,349 | $21,000 | $43,000 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $30,279 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 46 | Indiana | $30,268 | $21,000 | $41,000 |
| 47 | Alabama | $30,097 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $29,902 | $21,000 | $40,000 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $29,895 | $21,000 | $40,000 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $27,529 | $19,000 | $37,000 |
Methodology: Social Work Internship Salary By State
To gain insights into social work internship salaries by state, Zippia has collected data from various credible sources, including the BLS, FLC, and OPM. We enhance this data with actual salaries from job postings. Our data science team then computes a weighted average to derive the average pay for social work interns by state.
We ranked every state based on these average annual salary estimates, highlighting the state with the highest average salary for social work interns.
Social Work Internship Salary By State FAQs
-
What is the highest-paid state for social work interns?
The highest-paid state for social work interns is Alaska, with an average salary of $65,442 per year.
-
What city pays social work interns the most?
Fargo, ND offers the highest average salary for social work interns at $53,237 per year.
-
What is the worst state for social work interns?
The worst state for social work interns is Louisiana, with an average salary of $27,529 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
