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Crisis worker salary

Quoted expert
Sarah Christa Butts MSW

Average crisis worker salary

$16.25

$33,805 yearly

Entry-level crisis worker salary
$23,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Crisis Worker Salaries

Crisis workers play a crucial role in supporting individuals during emergencies, offering both emotional and practical assistance. As of October 2025, the average salary for a crisis worker is approximately $33,805 annually, translating to about $16 per hour. This figure can change based on experience, location, and specific job responsibilities.

Factors Influencing Salaries

Salaries for crisis workers can vary widely across different states and organizations. For instance, urban areas with higher demand for mental health services often offer competitive salaries compared to rural regions. Additionally, crisis workers with advanced training or specializations may command higher wages.

Job Opportunities

Many crisis workers find employment in diverse settings, including hospitals, schools, and nonprofit organizations. By building experience and pursuing further education, professionals can advance their careers and potentially increase their earnings. If you're interested in making a difference, consider a career as a crisis worker.

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Where can a Crisis Worker earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
52k
32k
12k
-8k
Columbus, OH$39,175
Allentown, PA$22,060
Compare salary by company
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62k
42k
22k
2k
Northwestern Medicine$38,235
Monster Products$32,124

Crisis worker salaries by experience level

Crisis worker salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a crisis worker typically falls between $33,805 and $62,926.
zippia
$33,805yearly
glassdoor[1]
$58,864yearly
comparably[2]
$62,926yearly

Average crisis worker salary by state

The average crisis worker salary in New York, Maine, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average crisis worker salary states are Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Georgia.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for crisis workers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York$44,846$21.56
2New Jersey$37,061$17.82
3New Hampshire$37,861$18.20
4Connecticut$37,796$18.17
5Maine$39,088$18.79
6Rhode Island$35,087$16.87
7Minnesota$33,197$15.96
8North Dakota$32,343$15.55
9Wisconsin$31,484$15.14
10Vermont$33,004$15.87
11Washington$33,224$15.97
12Michigan$30,147$14.49
13Massachusetts$31,887$15.33
14District of Columbia$32,610$15.68
15Illinois$30,129$14.49
16California$30,900$14.86
17Delaware$28,892$13.89
18Ohio$26,947$12.96
19Oregon$28,634$13.77
20Nevada$27,608$13.27
21Iowa$27,158$13.06
22North Carolina$27,578$13.26
23Wyoming$26,585$12.78
24South Dakota$26,164$12.58
25West Virginia$24,282$11.67
26Texas$25,593$12.30
27Kansas$25,613$12.31
28Kentucky$25,162$12.10
29Tennessee$23,659$11.37
30Indiana$25,153$12.09
31Idaho$26,157$12.58
32Alaska$25,392$12.21
33Virginia$26,729$12.85
34Maryland$27,246$13.10
35Montana$23,945$11.51
36Utah$23,166$11.14
37New Mexico$24,740$11.89
38Mississippi$23,408$11.25
39Colorado$24,611$11.83
40Hawaii$24,725$11.89
41Louisiana$22,507$10.82
42Oklahoma$22,744$10.93
43South Carolina$22,114$10.63
44Arizona$22,775$10.95
45Florida$22,281$10.71
46Alabama$21,638$10.40
47Pennsylvania$21,580$10.38
48Georgia$21,331$10.26
49Nebraska$19,751$9.50
50Missouri$19,342$9.30
51Arkansas$16,607$7.98

Highest paying cities for crisis workers

The highest-paying cities for crisis workers are Portland, ME, Mansfield, CT, and New Brunswick, NJ.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Portland, ME$39,175$18.83
2Mansfield, CT$38,290$18.41
3New Brunswick, NJ$37,035$17.81
4Madison, WI$30,873$14.84
5Chicago, IL$30,273$14.55
6Oakton, VA$27,567$13.25
7Cincinnati, OH$25,685$12.35
8Urban Honolulu, HI$24,726$11.89
9Salt Lake City, UT$23,156$11.13
10Allentown, PA$22,060$10.61

Crisis worker salary details

A crisis worker's salary ranges from $23,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $49,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average crisis worker salary graph
Average crisis worker salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a crisis worker's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$49,000$4,083$24
75th Percentile$41,000$3,417$20
Average$33,805$2,817$16
25th Percentile$27,000$2,250$13
10th Percentile$23,000$1,917$11

Highest paying crisis worker jobs

The highest paying types of crisis workers are clinical social worker, clinical supervisor, and clinician.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Mental Health Therapist$50,259$4,188$24.16114,386
Mental Health Professional$49,119$4,093$23.61109,499
Employment Counselor$43,848$3,654$21.0829,459
Clinician$60,150$5,012$28.92105,023
Clinical Externship$35,831$2,986$17.2363,061
Clinical Supervisor$61,616$5,135$29.6271,220

How would you rate the starting salaries for crisis workers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Sarah Christa Butts MSW

Director of Public Policy, National Association of Social Workers

Social workers are required to have a high level of education. Usually, a Master's degree and starting salaries are often far too low. Still, social workers can increase their wages over time, and there are many opportunities and positions available. Increasing reimbursement and compensation for social workers and reducing student loan debt are advocacy priorities for NASW.

Which companies pay crisis workers the most?

Crisis worker salaries at Northwestern Medicine and Chautauqua Opportunities are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average crisis worker salary at companies like St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc and Grand View Health are highly competitive.

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$34,000$33,600$33,200$32,800$32,400$32,000
MaleFemale

Crisis Worker salary by industry

The average crisis worker salary varies across industries:

  • The average crisis worker salary in the hospitality industry is $36,537, the highest of any industry.
  • The average crisis worker salary in the finance industry is $33,122.
  • Crisis workers in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $29,615, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for crisis workers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Hospitality$36,537$17.57
2Professional$33,122$15.92
3Health Care$32,267$15.51
4Government$29,973$14.41
5Non Profits$29,615$14.24

High paying crisis worker jobs

Crisis worker salary trends

The average crisis worker salary has risen by $6,585 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average crisis worker earned $27,220 annually, but today, they earn $33,805 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for crisis workers over the last decade.

Compare crisis worker salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average crisis worker salary over time

Compare crisis worker salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Crisis worker salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$33,800$16.25+4.2%
2024$32,400$15.56+3.9%
2023$31,100$14.96+3.5%
2022$30,000$14.43+1.3%
2021$29,600$14.24+1.2%

Recently added crisis worker salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Children's Village, Inc.MST Psych Crisis CaseworkerNew York, NY06/16/2025$57,330
ThresholdsCrisis Worker-Mobile Crisis Response-3Rd Shift SundaysChicago, IL06/11/2025$54,784
Northeast Counseling ServicesCrisis WorkerNanticoke, PA06/05/2025$33,000
State of MaineCrisis Team WorkerCaribou, ME05/29/2025$49,107
PRS, Inc.Crisis Hotline WorkerOakton, VA05/24/2025$35,479
Children's Home Society of South DakotaNight Crisis WorkerSioux Falls, SD05/22/2025$41,740
Western Montana Mental Health CenterCrisis Stabilization WorkerMissoula, MT05/17/2025$35,479
The Opportunity AllianceResidential Crisis Worker-Overnight ShiftPortland, ME05/16/2025$45,914
Prestera Health ServicesMobile Crisis WorkerCharleston, WV05/15/2025$54,992
Access ServicesOverdose Crisis WorkerPlymouth, PA05/13/2025$43,827

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