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Social work administrator salary

Quoted expert
Leanne Charlesworth Ph.D.

Average social work administrator salary

$58,404

$28.08 hourly rate

Entry-level social work administrator salary
$44,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Social Work Administrator Salaries

The average salary for a Social Work Administrator in the United States is $58,404 per year, or approximately $28 per hour. However, this figure can vary significantly depending on several factors including experience, geographic location, and the specific organization. For instance, Social Work Administrators with extensive experience often see higher salaries, reflecting their valuable skills in managing programs and resources effectively.

Additionally, the highest paying states for this role typically include California, New York, and Massachusetts, where demand for skilled professionals in social services is robust. In these states, salaries can exceed the national average, offering competitive compensation packages. To further understand the salary dynamics, explore salary estimates from various sources, which provide insights into how experience level and location influence earnings.

For those aspiring to become Social Work Administrators, it’s essential to consider these factors when evaluating job opportunities. With the right qualifications and experience, you can position yourself for higher earning potential in this fulfilling career.

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Where can a Social Work Administrator earn more?

Compare salary by location
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97k
77k
57k
37k
17k
Columbus, OH$76,338
Cleveland, OH$47,490
Compare salary by company
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103k
83k
63k
43k
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Tenet Healthcare$86,452
Iowa Department of Transportation$52,642

Social work administrator salaries by experience level

Social work administrator salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a social work administrator typically falls between $56,370 and $67,168.
zippia
$58,404yearly
glassdoor[1]
$56,370yearly
comparably[2]
$67,168yearly

Average social work administrator salary by state

The average social work administrator salary in New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average social work administrator salary states are Florida, Kentucky, and Indiana.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for social work administrators

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington$76,028$36.55
2New Jersey$94,399$45.38
3North Dakota$68,408$32.89
4New York$70,116$33.71
5New Mexico$65,198$31.35
6Connecticut$75,551$36.32
7Idaho$64,200$30.87
8North Carolina$73,742$35.45
9Nevada$65,941$31.70
10West Virginia$64,823$31.16
11Maryland$78,170$37.58
12New Hampshire$63,233$30.40
13Colorado$63,156$30.36
14Hawaii$67,694$32.55
15Virginia$75,571$36.33
16Alaska$63,037$30.31
17Oregon$62,863$30.22
18District of Columbia$77,595$37.31
19Massachusetts$61,703$29.66
20South Carolina$64,067$30.80
21Kansas$62,859$30.22
22Texas$60,370$29.02
23Utah$57,489$27.64
24California$62,966$30.27
25Illinois$60,827$29.24
26Georgia$59,697$28.70
27Maine$54,777$26.34
28South Dakota$56,214$27.03
29Wyoming$55,686$26.77
30Montana$56,326$27.08
31Tennessee$58,454$28.10
32Iowa$57,763$27.77
33Wisconsin$56,978$27.39
34Pennsylvania$55,072$26.48
35Vermont$54,046$25.98
36Alabama$54,731$26.31
37Rhode Island$53,606$25.77
38Arizona$52,148$25.07
39Delaware$54,774$26.33
40Louisiana$54,792$26.34
41Michigan$50,784$24.42
42Nebraska$52,135$25.06
43Minnesota$54,355$26.13
44Florida$48,657$23.39
45Missouri$52,271$25.13
46Arkansas$49,968$24.02
47Kentucky$48,320$23.23
48Ohio$46,975$22.58
49Mississippi$45,799$22.02
50Indiana$47,643$22.91
51Oklahoma$46,697$22.45

Highest paying cities for social work administrators

The highest-paying cities for social work administrators are Tacoma, WA, New York, NY, and Rock Hill, SC.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Tacoma, WA$76,338$36.70
2New York, NY$70,511$33.90
3Rock Hill, SC$63,277$30.42
4Englewood, CO$63,164$30.37
5Long Beach, CA$62,817$30.20
6Worcester, MA$62,031$29.82
7San Antonio, TX$61,548$29.59
8Chicago, IL$60,810$29.24
9Atlanta, GA$59,353$28.54
10Salt Lake City, UT$57,383$27.59
11Cleveland, OH$47,490$22.83

Social work administrator salary details

A social work administrator's salary ranges from $44,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $76,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average social work administrator salary graph
Average social work administrator salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a social work administrator's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$76,000$6,333$37
75th Percentile$67,000$5,583$32
Average$58,404$4,867$28
25th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24
10th Percentile$44,000$3,667$21

Highest paying social work administrator jobs

The highest paying types of social work administrators are trustee, communications lead, and program officer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Group Home Manager$38,616$3,218$18.5754,422
Student Manager$50,950$4,246$24.5014,721
House Manager$37,235$3,103$17.9028,706
Youth Leader$29,481$2,457$14.1731,851
Home Manager$75,914$6,326$36.5049,494
Program Officer$79,553$6,629$38.25118,383

How would you rate the starting salaries for social work administrators, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Leanne Charlesworth Ph.D.

Professor, Director, Undergraduate Program, Chair, Nazareth College of Rochester

Social work is growing faster than the average occupation in our nation. National data suggest the median salary is 50,000. This is reasonable for a licensed MSW-level social worker to expect; salary prospects over time are excellent for social workers that focus on gradually increasing their employment responsibilities and obtaining advanced licensure or other certifications.

Top companies hiring social work administrators now:

  1. Nordstrom jobs (2)
  2. Intermountain Healthcare jobs (2)
  3. PFL jobs (2)
  4. Dartmouth jobs (2)
  5. Bethany Retirement Living jobs (2)

Which companies pay social work administrators the most?

Social work administrator salaries at Tenet Healthcare and University Hospitals are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average social work administrator salary at companies like Intermountain Healthcare and New York University are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Tenet Healthcare$86,452$41.56
2University Hospitals$84,165$40.46
3Intermountain Healthcare$75,931$36.51
4New York University$73,649$35.41
5Hargrove Engineers + Constructors$70,252$33.77
6Saint Vincent Hospital$69,520$33.42
7Washington State University$67,327$32.37
8The Blackstone$66,319$31.88
9Atrium Health Floyd$62,296$29.95
10PFL$61,179$29.41
11Dartmouth$60,847$29.25
12Lorven Technologies$60,269$28.98
13The Menta Group$59,459$28.59
14Kettering Health Network$58,334$28.05
15USAA$54,148$26.03
16ManpowerGroup$52,925$25.44
17Iowa Department of Transportation$52,642$25.31

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$56,000$55,800$55,600$55,400$55,200$55,000
MaleFemale

Social Work Administrator salary by industry

The average social work administrator salary varies across industries:

  • The average social work administrator salary in the health care industry is $64,181, the highest of any industry.
  • The average social work administrator salary in the finance industry is $62,521.
  • Social work administrators in the government industry earn an average salary of $53,745, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for social work administrators

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Health Care$64,181$30.86
2Education$62,521$30.06
3Manufacturing$61,673$29.65
4Technology$60,388$29.03
5Professional$56,240$27.04
6Retail$56,231$27.03
7Government$53,745$25.84

High paying social work administrator jobs

Social work administrator salary trends

The average social work administrator salary has risen by $9,346 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average social work administrator earned $49,058 annually, but today, they earn $58,404 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for social work administrators over the last decade.

Compare social work administrator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average social work administrator salary over time

Compare social work administrator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Social work administrator salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$58,400$28.08+2.1%
2025$57,100$27.48+2.4%
2024$55,800$26.83+4.1%
2023$53,500$25.73+2.5%
2022$52,200$25.08+2.1%

Recently added social work administrator salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Kind To Kids FoundationSocial Work Administrator, Education ProgramNewark, DE02/17/2025$75,000
Telecare Inc.Social Work AdministratorSacramento, CA04/07/2024$113,660

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