How much does a medical social worker make?

The average medical social worker salary in the United States is $57,093. Medical social worker salaries typically range between $42,000 and $77,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for medical social workers is $27.45 per hour. Medical social worker salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Medical social workers earn the highest average salary in Alaska.

Medical social worker salary

Q: What state pays Medical Social Workers the most?

Alaska pays Medical Social Workers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $75,638 per year, or $36.36 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a medical social worker?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a medical social worker if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in California you should be paid close to $72,521 per year.

Q: What field of social work pays the most?

The highest-paying field for social workers are at the government (state or federal) level and the medical field. These positions tend to pay well because they tend to require the most knowledge and expertise.

Q: What is the highest-paid social work job?

The social workers who are usually paid the highest are those who work for the government at the state or federal level and the social workers who work within the medical field. These positions tend to pay well because they tend to require a good amount of knowledge. Social workers in these positions must know how to navigate complex systems with rules and procedures that can be very rigid.

Quoted expert

Sarah Christa Butts MSW

Average medical social worker salary

$57,093

$27.45 hourly rate

Entry-level medical social worker salary

$42,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Medical Social Worker Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Medical Social Worker is approximately $57,093 per year or $27 per hour. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific healthcare setting. For instance, medical social workers in metropolitan areas often see higher salaries due to increased demand.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level positions typically start around $45,000, while seasoned professionals with specialized skills can earn upwards of $70,000 annually. Experience in diverse healthcare environments enhances earning potential significantly.

Top-Paying States

States like California, New York, and Massachusetts offer the highest salaries for medical social workers, reflecting the cost of living and demand for healthcare services in those areas. To maximize earnings, consider relocating to these regions or pursuing additional certifications.

Job Opportunities

Medical social workers find roles in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and community health organizations. This profession not only provides a stable income but also offers the chance to make a meaningful impact in people's lives.

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Medical social worker salary by:

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Where can a Medical Social Worker earn more?

Compare salary by location

97k

77k

57k

37k

17k

Columbus, OH$77,711

Summerville, SC$46,928

Compare salary by company

98k

78k

58k

38k

Health Advocates$82,994

Alameda Alliance for Health$68,191

Medical social worker salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level medical social worker	$41,600	$20.01
Mid-level medical social worker	$63,200	$30.40
Senior-level medical social worker	$84,100	$40.45

Medical social worker salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a medical social worker typically falls between $57,093 and $85,263.

zippia

$57,093yearly

indeed[1]

$65,638yearly

comparably[2]

$85,263yearly

ZipRecruiter[3]

$80,725yearly

payscale[4]

$60,673yearly

Average medical social worker salary by state

The highest-paying states for medical social workers are Alaska, California, and Oregon. The lowest average medical social worker salary states are Alabama, Virginia, and Kentucky.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for medical social workers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Idaho	$63,889	$30.72
2	California	$72,521	$34.87
3	Oregon	$70,531	$33.91
4	New Hampshire	$69,960	$33.63
5	Alaska	$75,638	$36.36
6	Connecticut	$66,212	$31.83
7	Washington	$64,784	$31.15
8	Nevada	$61,315	$29.48
9	District of Columbia	$71,112	$34.19
10	New Mexico	$57,854	$27.81
11	Utah	$54,933	$26.41
12	Wyoming	$56,532	$27.18
13	Pennsylvania	$61,034	$29.34
14	New Jersey	$66,728	$32.08
15	Delaware	$56,536	$27.18
16	West Virginia	$52,339	$25.16
17	Vermont	$61,691	$29.66
18	Rhode Island	$59,745	$28.72
19	Massachusetts	$55,298	$26.59
20	Indiana	$58,219	$27.99
21	Ohio	$58,486	$28.12
22	Michigan	$55,955	$26.90
23	Louisiana	$51,920	$24.96
24	Hawaii	$61,102	$29.38
25	Mississippi	$50,951	$24.50
26	Arizona	$54,302	$26.11
27	North Dakota	$54,390	$26.15
28	Illinois	$50,631	$24.34
29	Tennessee	$49,685	$23.89
30	Arkansas	$47,879	$23.02
31	Maryland	$54,776	$26.33
32	Montana	$52,409	$25.20
33	Maine	$48,480	$23.31
34	South Carolina	$46,942	$22.57
35	Alabama	$45,875	$22.06
36	Minnesota	$47,861	$23.01
37	Colorado	$51,203	$24.62
38	Missouri	$46,194	$22.21
39	South Dakota	$47,062	$22.63
40	Nebraska	$48,040	$23.10
41	New York	$52,833	$25.40
42	Iowa	$49,415	$23.76
43	Kentucky	$45,609	$21.93
44	Virginia	$45,620	$21.93
45	Oklahoma	$46,942	$22.57
46	Texas	$47,991	$23.07
47	Kansas	$48,968	$23.54
48	Florida	$44,664	$21.47
49	Georgia	$38,842	$18.67
50	Wisconsin	$48,238	$23.19
51	North Carolina	$44,594	$21.44

Top medical social worker jobs near you

Highest paying cities for medical social workers

The highest-paying cities for medical social workers are San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, and Bellingham, WA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$77,711	$37.36
2	Portland, OR	$70,587	$33.94
3	Bellingham, WA	$65,703	$31.59
4	Reading, PA	$61,174	$29.41
5	Las Vegas, NV	$60,911	$29.28
6	Marion, IN	$58,667	$28.21
7	Albuquerque, NM	$58,049	$27.91
8	Columbus, OH	$57,931	$27.85
9	Waterford, MI	$56,073	$26.96
10	Springfield, MA	$55,448	$26.66
11	New York, NY	$52,880	$25.42
12	Denver, CO	$51,273	$24.65
13	Jackson, MS	$50,941	$24.49
14	Skokie, IL	$50,832	$24.44
15	Portland, ME	$48,832	$23.48
16	Austin, TX	$48,204	$23.18
17	Milwaukee, WI	$48,153	$23.15
18	Omaha, NE	$47,962	$23.06
19	Minneapolis, MN	$47,881	$23.02
20	Summerville, SC	$46,928	$22.56

Medical Social Workers are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Medical social worker salary details

A medical social worker's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $77,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average medical social worker salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a medical social worker's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$77,000	$6,417	$37
75th Percentile	$66,000	$5,500	$32
Average	$57,093	$4,758	$27
25th Percentile	$48,000	$4,000	$23
10th Percentile	$42,000	$3,500	$20

Highest paying medical social worker jobs

The highest paying types of medical social workers are clinical social worker, psychiatric social worker, and licensed social worker.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Substance Abuse Counselor	$43,069	$3,589	$20.71	78,643
Program Counselor	$43,820	$3,652	$21.07	133,491
Family Counselor	$41,510	$3,459	$19.96	93,253
Counselor	$36,225	$3,019	$17.42	77,536
Alcohol And Drug Counselor	$45,758	$3,813	$22.00	77,461
Service Counselor	$35,402	$2,950	$17.02	44,284

How would you rate the starting salaries for medical social 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.

Top companies hiring medical social workers now:

Which companies pay medical social workers the most?

Medical social worker salaries at Health Advocates and Clarion Hospital are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average medical social worker salary at companies like Trident Medical Center and Ethos Veterinary Health are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Health Advocates	$82,994	$39.90
2	Clarion Hospital	$82,448	$39.64
3	Trident Medical Center	$80,071	$38.50
4	Ethos Veterinary Health	$79,678	$38.31
5	Montrose Memorial Hospital	$78,309	$37.65
6	Hospice Buffalo	$77,163	$37.10
7	MCMC	$77,077	$37.06
8	A Plus Home Health Care, Inc.	$76,439	$36.75
9	Hearland Hospice	$72,859	$35.03
10	Health First	$72,795	$35.00
11	Estes Park Health	$70,962	$34.12
12	Oregon Health & Science University	$70,490	$33.89
13	Heartland Home Health Inc.	$70,134	$33.72
14	Better Home Health Care	$69,821	$33.57
15	Whidbey General Hospital	$69,511	$33.42
16	The Medical Center Inc	$69,280	$33.31
17	University of Washington	$68,407	$32.89
18	Mission Health Services	$68,266	$32.82
19	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$68,252	$32.81
20	Alameda Alliance for Health	$68,191	$32.78

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$57,000$56,800$56,600$56,400$56,200$56,000

MaleFemale

Medical social worker salary trends

The average medical social worker salary has risen by $8,926 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average medical social worker earned $48,167 annually, but today, they earn $57,093 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for medical social workers over the last decade.

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

Average medical social worker salary over time

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

Medical social worker salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$57,100	$27.45	+1.5%
2024	$56,200	$27.03	+1.0%
2023	$55,700	$26.77	+2.4%
2022	$54,400	$26.13	+2.0%
2021	$53,300	$25.61	+2.6%

Recently added medical social worker salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Sutterhealth	Medical Social Worker II	San Francisco, CA	06/30/2025	$108,545
Ioaging	Medical Social Worker	San Francisco, CA	06/30/2025	$84,077
LHC Group	Medical Social Worker-Hospice (PRN)	Bloomington, MN	06/29/2025	$58,436
Prime Healthcare Services	Medical Social Worker, Msw/Mft	Lynwood, CA	06/29/2025	$68,391
The Elizabeth Hospice	Hospice Medical Social Worker	San Diego, CA	06/29/2025	$70,000
Get It-Healthcare	Health Home Medical Social Worker (MSW)-Remote \| WFH	Ammon, ID	06/29/2025	$68,383
Amedisys Inc.	Medical Social Worker	Greenville, SC	06/28/2025	$43,000
Humana Inc.	Medical Social Worker, Home Health	Las Vegas, NV	06/28/2025	$59,300
Aurora Health Care	Medical Social Worker	Milwaukee, WI	06/28/2025	$58,540
Thompson Health	Medical Social Worker II	Canandaigua, NY	06/28/2025	$58,436

Medical social worker salary FAQs

What state pays Medical Social Workers the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a medical social worker?

What field of social work pays the most?

What is the highest-paid social work job?

Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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