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This question is about social worker salaries.
What is a good starting salary for a Social Worker?
A good starting salary for a social worker is $40,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a social worker in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for social workers is $53,175, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a social worker can vary by state, as we show below.
What Is A Good Entry-Level Social Worker Salary By State?
The following table shows how much an entry level social worker earns in each state. Zippia used data from the BLS, public records, and job postings to create these estimates.
| State | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Alaska | $64,000 | $5,333 | $1,230 | $30.77 |
| Oregon | $54,000 | $4,500 | $1,038 | $25.96 |
| District of Columbia | $51,000 | $4,250 | $980 | $24.52 |
| Washington | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| Vermont | $48,000 | $4,000 | $923 | $23.08 |
| California | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Hawaii | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| New Hampshire | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Rhode Island | $45,000 | $3,750 | $865 | $21.63 |
| Nevada | $44,000 | $3,666 | $846 | $21.15 |
| Connecticut | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| New Jersey | $43,000 | $3,583 | $826 | $20.67 |
| Arizona | $42,000 | $3,500 | $807 | $20.19 |
| West Virginia | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Louisiana | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Arkansas | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Minnesota | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Maine | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Massachusetts | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| New York | $41,000 | $3,416 | $788 | $19.71 |
| Idaho | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Utah | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| New Mexico | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Mississippi | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Kentucky | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Delaware | $40,000 | $3,333 | $769 | $19.23 |
| Michigan | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Ohio | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| North Dakota | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Maryland | $39,000 | $3,250 | $750 | $18.75 |
| Texas | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| North Carolina | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Illinois | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Wisconsin | $38,000 | $3,166 | $730 | $18.27 |
| Indiana | $37,000 | $3,083 | $711 | $17.79 |
| Wyoming | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Iowa | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Virginia | $36,000 | $3,000 | $692 | $17.31 |
| Colorado | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Montana | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| South Carolina | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Alabama | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Florida | $35,000 | $2,916 | $673 | $16.83 |
| South Dakota | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Missouri | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Georgia | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Kansas | $34,000 | $2,833 | $653 | $16.35 |
| Nebraska | $33,000 | $2,750 | $634 | $15.87 |
| Tennessee | $32,000 | $2,666 | $615 | $15.38 |
| Oklahoma | $31,000 | $2,583 | $596 | $14.9 |
What are The 10 Highest Paying Cities for Entry-Level Social Worker Jobs?
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an entry level social worker job is above the national average. Topping the list is Portland, OR.
| City | Starting Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Portland, OR | $63,000 | $5,250 | $1,211 | $30.29 |
| San Francisco, CA | $59,000 | $4,916 | $1,134 | $28.37 |
| Washington, DC | $58,000 | $4,833 | $1,115 | $27.88 |
| Seattle, WA | $57,000 | $4,750 | $1,096 | $27.4 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $52,000 | $4,333 | $1,000 | $25.0 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $50,000 | $4,166 | $961 | $24.04 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $49,000 | $4,083 | $942 | $23.56 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
| Austin, MN | $47,000 | $3,916 | $903 | $22.6 |
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