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Case worker salary

Quoted expert
Sarah Christa Butts MSW

Average case worker salary

$41,459

$19.93 hourly rate

Entry-level case worker salary
$30,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Case Worker Salaries

The role of a case worker is essential in providing support to those facing challenges, from mental health issues to housing instability. As of October 2025, case workers earn an average salary of $41,459 per year, which translates to approximately $20 per hour. Salaries can differ significantly based on various factors such as location, experience, and the specific field of practice.

Salary Variations by State

In states like California and New York, case workers can expect higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for services. For instance, the highest paying states for case workers often include:

  • California
  • New York
  • Massachusetts

Additionally, case workers with more experience typically earn higher salaries. Entry-level positions may start lower but can increase significantly with additional experience and responsibilities. Understanding these factors can help aspiring case workers gauge their potential earnings and career paths in this rewarding field.

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Where can a Case Worker earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
63k
43k
23k
3k
Columbus, OH$51,521
Clearwater, FL$32,673
Compare salary by company
Vs
71k
51k
31k
11k
Appalachian Regional Healthcare$53,369
Lifespan$40,976

Case worker salaries by experience level

Case worker salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor and Ziprecruiter, the average salary for a case worker typically falls between $41,459 and $56,310.
zippia
$41,459yearly
glassdoor[1]
$56,310yearly
indeed[2]
$43,534yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$47,429yearly

Average case worker salary by state

The highest-paying states for case workers are New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. The lowest average case worker salary states are Louisiana, Nebraska, and Kentucky.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for case workers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Connecticut$50,149$24.11
2New York$51,155$24.59
3West Virginia$45,331$21.79
4New Mexico$45,981$22.11
5Delaware$48,690$23.41
6New Jersey$52,661$25.32
7Maine$43,347$20.84
8Washington$43,122$20.73
9Colorado$44,749$21.51
10New Hampshire$45,682$21.96
11California$44,637$21.46
12Idaho$40,792$19.61
13Texas$41,799$20.10
14Alaska$41,780$20.09
15Oregon$41,723$20.06
16Arkansas$40,483$19.46
17South Carolina$39,860$19.16
18Pennsylvania$41,125$19.77
19Kansas$41,886$20.14
20Wisconsin$41,998$20.19
21North Carolina$39,966$19.21
22Minnesota$42,910$20.63
23District of Columbia$44,882$21.58
24Indiana$39,808$19.14
25Massachusetts$38,912$18.71
26Nevada$40,854$19.64
27North Dakota$40,848$19.64
28Iowa$39,773$19.12
29Tennessee$37,404$17.98
30South Dakota$36,652$17.62
31Maryland$41,252$19.83
32Georgia$37,706$18.13
33Virginia$40,004$19.23
34Wyoming$36,654$17.62
35Illinois$38,833$18.67
36Rhode Island$38,592$18.55
37Utah$36,197$17.40
38Vermont$39,773$19.12
39Louisiana$33,622$16.16
40Montana$37,258$17.91
41Hawaii$34,080$16.38
42Florida$32,484$15.62
43Michigan$35,990$17.30
44Alabama$34,292$16.49
45Ohio$36,957$17.77
46Nebraska$33,170$15.95
47Missouri$33,679$16.19
48Arizona$34,006$16.35
49Oklahoma$30,559$14.69
50Kentucky$32,529$15.64
51Mississippi$28,555$13.73

Highest paying cities for case workers

The highest-paying cities for case workers are New York, NY, Denver, CO, and Los Angeles, CA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York, NY$51,521$24.77
2Denver, CO$44,716$21.50
3Los Angeles, CA$44,447$21.37
4Seattle, WA$43,282$20.81
5Austin, TX$42,218$20.30
6Kansas City, KS$41,953$20.17
7Philadelphia, PA$41,629$20.01
8Greensboro, NC$40,048$19.25
9Columbia, SC$39,993$19.23
10Worcester, MA$39,100$18.80
11Chicago, IL$39,061$18.78
12Johnston, RI$38,568$18.54
13Columbus, OH$36,415$17.51
14Sterling Heights, MI$36,269$17.44
15Salt Lake City, UT$36,090$17.35
16Birmingham, AL$34,273$16.48
17Saint Louis, MO$33,811$16.26
18Clearwater, FL$32,673$15.71

Case worker salary details

A case worker's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $55,000 at the 90th percentile.

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

What is a case worker's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$55,000$4,583$26
75th Percentile$48,000$4,000$23
Average$41,459$3,455$20
25th Percentile$35,000$2,917$17
10th Percentile$30,000$2,500$14

Highest paying case worker jobs

The highest paying types of case workers are licensed social worker, school social worker, and social worker.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Advocate$39,497$3,291$18.9974,970
Community Support Worker$31,486$2,624$15.14106,158
Family Support Worker$38,207$3,184$18.37159,875
School Social Worker$54,856$4,571$26.37122,376
Licensed Social Worker$57,005$4,750$27.4166,130
Support Worker$37,039$3,087$17.81112,754

How would you rate the starting salaries for case 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 case workers the most?

Case worker salaries at Appalachian Regional Healthcare and UMiami Health System are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average case worker salary at companies like Miriam Hospital and Symmetry Financial Group are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Appalachian Regional Healthcare$53,369$25.66
2UMiami Health System$52,539$25.26
3Miriam Hospital$51,866$24.94
4Symmetry Financial Group$50,335$24.20
5Dairy Farmers of America$48,376$23.26
6UMass Memorial Health$47,842$23.00
7City and County of Denver Government$43,884$21.10
8Medical Billing$43,443$20.89
9Access International, Inc.$43,385$20.86
10Baylor College of Medicine$43,307$20.82
11CTG$43,236$20.79
12Catholic Charities Health and Human Services$43,056$20.70
13InterFaith Works of Central New York$42,491$20.43
14International Rescue Committee$42,434$20.40
15University of North Texas$42,218$20.30
16Bleuler Psychotherapy Center, Inc.$42,009$20.20
17Northside Hospital$41,896$20.14
18Pathways LA$41,635$20.02
19Urban League of Rochester$41,000$19.71
20Lifespan$40,976$19.70

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$40,000$39,600$39,200$38,800$38,400$38,000
MaleFemale

Case Worker salary by industry

The average case worker salary varies across industries:

  • The average case worker salary in the education industry is $40,730, the highest of any industry.
  • The average case worker salary in the finance industry is $40,252.
  • Case workers in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $36,605, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for case workers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Education$40,730$19.58
2Professional$40,252$19.35
3Finance$39,577$19.03
4Health Care$38,082$18.31
5Government$37,797$18.17
6Non Profits$36,605$17.60

High paying case worker jobs

Case worker salary trends

The average case worker salary has risen by $6,635 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average case worker earned $34,824 annually, but today, they earn $41,459 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for case workers over the last decade.

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

Average case worker salary over time

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

Case worker salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$41,500$19.93+2.1%
2024$40,600$19.50+2.4%
2023$39,600$19.04+4.1%
2022$38,000$18.27+2.5%
2021$37,000$17.80+2.1%

Recently added case worker salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Catholic Charities of Onondaga CountyCase Worker-Permanent Supportive Housing)Syracuse, NY06/29/2025$43,827
Lutheran Social ServicesCase Worker-HybridJamestown, NY06/29/2025$42,784
Lifeskills GroupCrisis Case WorkerHopkinsville, KY06/27/2025$33,121
Liberty Healthcare CorporationProtective Services Case Worker (Human Services-Field Based)Pittsburgh, PA06/26/2025$48,000
Transitional Services for New York Inc.Case Worker-Adult Protective ServicesNew York, NY06/25/2025$48,000
The Salvation ArmyCase WorkerAbilene, TX06/23/2025$32,411
Diocese of CamdenCase Worker 1-FloaterCamden, NJ06/21/2025$38,500
CatholiccharitiesjolietCase Worker, Residential Homeless ServicesJoliet, IL06/20/2025$44,683
Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical ServiceCase Workers-Leaving Violence Program (LVP)Ione, WA06/19/2025$80,000
Trinity HealthCase Worker-Crime Victim Services; Samaritan HospitalTroy, NY06/18/2025$48,836

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