Senior social worker demographics and statistics in the US
Senior social worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates senior social worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our senior 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 senior social workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 120,114 senior social workers currently employed in the United States.
- 76.9% of all senior social workers are women, while 23.1% are men.
- The average senior social worker age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of senior social workers is White (63.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.1%), Black or African American (13.4%) and Unknown (4.2%).
- Senior social workers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for senior social workers.
- Newark, NJ pays an annual average wage of $89,577, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women senior social workers earned 101% of what men earned.
- 10% of all senior social workers are LGBT.
- Connecticut is the best state for senior social workers to live.
- Senior social workers are 54% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Senior social worker demographics by:
Senior social worker gender statistics
76.9% of senior social workers are women and 23.1% of senior social workers are men.
- Female, 76.9%
- Male, 23.1%
Senior social worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 76.9% |
| Male | 23.1% |
Senior social worker gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$51,668
Female income
$52,073
Senior social worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in senior social worker positions over time. Currently, 76.9% of senior social workers are female.
Senior social worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 28.81% | 71.19% |
| 2011 | 27.77% | 72.23% |
| 2012 | 27.71% | 72.29% |
| 2013 | 26.81% | 73.19% |
| 2014 | 28.03% | 71.97% |
| 2015 | 27.73% | 72.27% |
| 2016 | 28.08% | 71.92% |
| 2017 | 27.54% | 72.46% |
| 2018 | 26.64% | 73.36% |
| 2019 | 26.23% | 73.77% |
| 2020 | 23.75% | 76.25% |
| 2021 | 23.09% | 76.91% |
Senior social worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared senior 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% |
| Senior 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%
Senior social worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among senior social workers is White, which makes up 63.1% of all senior social workers. Comparatively, 15.1% of senior social workers are Hispanic or Latino and 13.4% of senior social workers are Black or African American.
- White, 63.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.1%
- Black or African American, 13.4%
- Unknown, 4.2%
- Asian, 2.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
Senior social worker race
| Senior social worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.1% |
| Black or African American | 13.4% |
| Unknown | 4.2% |
| Asian | 2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.5% |
Senior social worker race and ethnicity over time
See how senior social worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Senior 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 | 64.71% | 18.85% | 2.11% | 11.31% |
| 2019 | 65.91% | 17.78% | 2.01% | 9.63% |
| 2020 | 61.48% | 15.43% | 2.92% | 14.22% |
| 2021 | 63.14% | 13.37% | 2.67% | 15.12% |
Senior social worker wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino senior social workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american senior social workers have the lowest average salary at $48,795.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,913 |
| White | $49,716 |
| Black or African American | $48,795 |
| Asian | $54,021 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,125 |
Average senior social worker age
See how the average age of senior social workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Senior social worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40 | |
| White | 39.5 | 41 |
| Black or African American | 48 | |
| Asian | 41 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 |
Senior social worker age breakdown
The average age of senior social workers is 40+ years years old, representing 57% of the senior social worker population.
Senior social worker age breakdown
| Senior Social Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 57% |
| 30-40 years | 26% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Senior social worker educational attainment
The most common degree for senior social workers is master's degree, with 47% of senior social workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 47% and bachelor's degree degree at 4%.
- Master's, 47%
- Bachelor's, 47%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 1%
- Other Degrees, 1%
Senior social workers by degree level
| Senior social worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Master's | 47% |
| Bachelor's | 47% |
| Associate | 4% |
| Doctorate | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 1% |
Senior social worker jobs you might like
Senior social worker wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,541 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,513 |
Senior social worker employment statistics
Most senior social workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where senior social workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where senior social workers work.
Senior social worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 11% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 7% |
Senior social worker jobs by company type
Employees with the senior social worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most senior social workers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Senior social worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 54% |
| Government | 32% |
Senior social worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for senior social workers are health care, government and non profits.
Senior social worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 40% |
| Government | 21% |
| Non Profits | 15% |
| Education | 7% |
| Professional | 6% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Senior social worker turnover and employment statistics
Senior social worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for senior social workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Senior social worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Senior 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 | 2.12% |
| 2019 | 1.07% |
| 2020 | 1.73% |
| 2021 | 1.89% |
Average senior social worker tenure
The average senior social worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,906 senior social workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Senior social worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 14% |
| 1-2 years | 31% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 18% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 15% |
Senior social worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of senior 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Anger Control Counselor | 8.96% | 58,069 |
| Probation Worker | 9.50% | 19,649 |
| Senior Social Worker | 10.37% | - |
| Welfare Adviser | 11.25% | 11,336 |
| Case Management Coordinator | 11.48% | 126,335 |
| Crisis Counselor | 15.06% | 76,255 |
| Intervention Specialist | 15.06% | 69,156 |
Similar senior social worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Anger Control Counselor | 8.96% | 58,069 |
| Probation Worker | 9.50% | 19,649 |
| Welfare Adviser | 11.25% | 11,336 |
| Case Management Coordinator | 11.48% | 126,335 |
| Crisis Counselor | 15.06% | 76,255 |
| Intervention Specialist | 15.06% | 69,156 |
Foreign languages spoken by senior social workers
The most common foreign language among senior social workers is Spanish at 58.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 6.0% and French is the third-most popular at 6.0%.
- Spanish, 58.3%
- Portuguese, 6.0%
- French, 6.0%
- Russian, 6.0%
- Polish, 3.6%
- Other, 20.1%
Senior social worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 58.3% |
| Portuguese | 6.0% |
| French | 6.0% |
| Russian | 6.0% |
| Polish | 3.6% |
| Other | 20.1% |
