Hospital social worker demographics and statistics in the US
Hospital social worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates hospital social worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our hospital social worker estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about hospital social workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 164,972 hospital social workers currently employed in the United States.
- 77.1% of all hospital social workers are women, while 22.9% are men.
- The average hospital social worker age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of hospital social workers is White (58.5%), followed by Black or African American (19.9%), Hispanic or Latino (12.3%) and Unknown (5.4%).
- Hospital social workers are most in-demand in Natick, MA.
- The health care industry is the highest-paying for hospital social workers.
- Santa Rosa, CA pays an annual average wage of $79,353, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women hospital social workers earned 101% of what men earned.
- 13% of all hospital social workers are LGBT.
- Oregon is the best state for hospital social workers to live.
- Hospital social workers are 79% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Hospital social worker demographics by:
Hospital social worker gender statistics
77.1% of hospital social workers are women and 22.9% of hospital social workers are men.
- Female, 77.1%
- Male, 22.9%
Hospital social worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 77.1% |
| Male | 22.9% |
Hospital social worker gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$54,137
Female income
$54,658
Hospital social worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in hospital social worker positions over time. Currently, 77.1% of hospital social workers are female.
Hospital social worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 21.15% | 78.85% |
| 2011 | 20.31% | 79.69% |
| 2012 | 20.26% | 79.74% |
| 2013 | 19.53% | 80.47% |
| 2014 | 20.51% | 79.49% |
| 2015 | 20.27% | 79.73% |
| 2016 | 20.56% | 79.44% |
| 2017 | 20.12% | 79.88% |
| 2018 | 25.34% | 74.66% |
| 2019 | 25.77% | 74.23% |
| 2020 | 27.71% | 72.29% |
| 2021 | 22.86% | 77.14% |
Hospital social worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared hospital social workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Educator | 2% | 98% |
| Certified Lactation Counselor | 3% | 97% |
| Lactation Specialist | 5% | 95% |
| Hospital Social Worker | 23% | 77% |
| Donation Worker | 70% | 30% |
| Rehabilitation Engineer | 70% | 30% |
| Public Health Worker | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Hospital social worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among hospital social workers is White, which makes up 58.5% of all hospital social workers. Comparatively, 19.9% of hospital social workers are Black or African American and 12.3% of hospital social workers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 58.5%
- Black or African American, 19.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.3%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- Asian, 3.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Hospital social worker race
| Hospital social worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.5% |
| Black or African American | 19.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.3% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| Asian | 3.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Hospital social worker race and ethnicity over time
See how hospital social worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Hospital social worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.83% | 17.57% | 2.59% | 10.00% |
| 2011 | 65.42% | 18.60% | 3.01% | 10.04% |
| 2012 | 65.75% | 17.96% | 2.81% | 10.36% |
| 2013 | 65.67% | 17.74% | 2.90% | 10.11% |
| 2014 | 65.32% | 17.27% | 3.07% | 11.30% |
| 2015 | 65.17% | 17.67% | 2.89% | 11.38% |
| 2016 | 64.92% | 17.21% | 3.27% | 11.88% |
| 2017 | 65.28% | 15.66% | 3.37% | 12.35% |
| 2018 | 65.80% | 17.35% | 2.18% | 11.32% |
| 2019 | 66.88% | 15.00% | 2.08% | 12.40% |
| 2020 | 62.15% | 15.96% | 3.26% | 12.70% |
| 2021 | 58.45% | 19.92% | 3.32% | 12.27% |
Hospital social worker wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown hospital social workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White hospital social workers have the lowest average salary at $51,775.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $54,999 |
| White | $51,775 |
| Black or African American | $54,139 |
| Asian | $54,878 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,964 |
Average hospital social worker age
See how the average age of hospital social workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Hospital social worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 37 | |
| White | 46 | 46 |
| Black or African American | 48 | 44.5 |
| Asian | 38.5 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 | 43 |
Hospital social worker age breakdown
The average age of hospital social workers is 40+ years years old, representing 63% of the hospital social worker population.
Hospital social worker age breakdown
| Hospital Social Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 63% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 8% |
Hospital social worker educational attainment
The most common degree for hospital social workers is bachelor's degree, with 48% of hospital social workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 34% and master's degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 48%
- Master's, 34%
- Associate, 8%
- High School Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Hospital social workers by degree level
| Hospital social worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 48% |
| Master's | 34% |
| Associate | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Hospital social worker jobs you might like
Hospital social worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, hospital social workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $64,499 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, hospital social workers earn a median annual income of $56,761 compared to $53,732 for hospital social workers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,499 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,368 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $56,761 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,732 |
Hospital social worker employment statistics
Most hospital social workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where hospital social workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where hospital social workers work.
Hospital social worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 12% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 32% |
| > 10,000 employees | 16% |
Hospital social worker jobs by company type
Employees with the hospital social worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most hospital social workers prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Hospital social worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 79% |
| Government | 7% |
Hospital social worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for hospital social workers are health care, education and government.
Hospital social worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 63% |
| Education | 5% |
| Government | 5% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Retail | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
Hospital social worker turnover and employment statistics
Hospital social worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for hospital social workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Hospital social worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Hospital social worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.89% |
| 2011 | 4.68% |
| 2012 | 4.85% |
| 2013 | 3.77% |
| 2014 | 2.89% |
| 2015 | 2.27% |
| 2016 | 2.28% |
| 2017 | 1.90% |
| 2018 | 2.61% |
| 2019 | 1.33% |
| 2020 | 2.51% |
| 2021 | 3.18% |
Average hospital social worker tenure
The average hospital social worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 719 hospital social workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Hospital social worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Hospital social worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of hospital social workers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Counselor | 8.96% | 83,305 |
| Probation Worker | 9.50% | 19,649 |
| Criminal Justice Social Worker | 11.25% | 85,917 |
| Hall Coordinator | 11.48% | 29,676 |
| Hospital Social Worker | 12.99% | - |
| Prison Classification Counselor | 15.06% | 27,559 |
| Child And Adolescent Therapist | 15.06% | 69,031 |
Similar hospital social worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Counselor | 8.96% | 83,305 |
| Probation Worker | 9.50% | 19,649 |
| Criminal Justice Social Worker | 11.25% | 85,917 |
| Hall Coordinator | 11.48% | 29,676 |
| Prison Classification Counselor | 15.06% | 27,559 |
| Child And Adolescent Therapist | 15.06% | 69,031 |
Foreign languages spoken by hospital social workers
The most common foreign language among hospital social workers is Spanish at 55.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.3% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 6.9%.
- Spanish, 55.2%
- French, 10.3%
- Japanese, 6.9%
- Portuguese, 3.4%
- Chinese, 3.4%
- Other, 20.8%
Hospital social worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 55.2% |
| French | 10.3% |
| Japanese | 6.9% |
| Portuguese | 3.4% |
| Chinese | 3.4% |
| Other | 20.8% |
