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The average salary for a Social Worker Assistant in the United States is approximately $37,542 per year or about $18 per hour. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and the specific field of social work.
Entry-level positions typically start at around $30,000, while experienced professionals may earn upwards of $45,000 annually. Understanding these salary dynamics is essential for career planning.
States such as California and New York offer higher salaries, reflecting a higher cost of living and demand for social services. In addition to geographic location, specialization in mental health or child welfare can also lead to increased earning potential.
For those considering a career as a Social Worker Assistant, staying informed about salary trends is crucial. By exploring opportunities in different states and sectors, you can enhance your career trajectory and financial stability.
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| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level social worker assistant | $26,100 | $12.52 |
| Mid-level social worker assistant | $37,000 | $17.78 |
| Senior-level social worker assistant | $42,500 | $20.41 |
The average social worker assistant salary in Hawaii, North Dakota, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average social worker assistant salary states are New Hampshire, Louisiana, and Florida.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $43,981 | $21.14 |
| 2 | New York | $42,240 | $20.31 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $47,554 | $22.86 |
| 4 | Oregon | $42,056 | $20.22 |
| 5 | Idaho | $41,240 | $19.83 |
| 6 | California | $42,151 | $20.26 |
| 7 | Colorado | $39,919 | $19.19 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $47,398 | $22.79 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $48,838 | $23.48 |
| 10 | Maine | $39,900 | $19.18 |
| 11 | Nebraska | $37,916 | $18.23 |
| 12 | Illinois | $42,659 | $20.51 |
| 13 | Nevada | $42,145 | $20.26 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $36,660 | $17.63 |
| 15 | Alaska | $42,009 | $20.20 |
| 16 | Utah | $37,156 | $17.86 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $38,035 | $18.29 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $40,023 | $19.24 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $38,994 | $18.75 |
| 20 | Maryland | $38,571 | $18.54 |
| 21 | Kansas | $38,097 | $18.32 |
| 22 | Delaware | $36,413 | $17.51 |
| 23 | Missouri | $35,591 | $17.11 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $35,442 | $17.04 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $32,613 | $15.68 |
| 26 | Michigan | $35,626 | $17.13 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $32,538 | $15.64 |
| 28 | Vermont | $32,077 | $15.42 |
| 29 | Texas | $33,189 | $15.96 |
| 30 | Massachusetts | $33,381 | $16.05 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $30,107 | $14.47 |
| 32 | Ohio | $35,490 | $17.06 |
| 33 | Arizona | $33,898 | $16.30 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $32,124 | $15.44 |
| 35 | Montana | $34,473 | $16.57 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $30,798 | $14.81 |
| 37 | Iowa | $34,630 | $16.65 |
| 38 | Mississippi | $32,219 | $15.49 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $32,760 | $15.75 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $28,450 | $13.68 |
| 41 | Florida | $27,400 | $13.17 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $30,071 | $14.46 |
| 43 | New Jersey | $32,533 | $15.64 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $29,632 | $14.25 |
| 45 | Indiana | $30,567 | $14.70 |
| 46 | Virginia | $29,495 | $14.18 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $30,403 | $14.62 |
| 48 | New Hampshire | $28,522 | $13.71 |
| 49 | Georgia | $26,003 | $12.50 |
| 50 | South Carolina | $27,142 | $13.05 |
| 51 | Alabama | $25,922 | $12.46 |
The highest-paying cities for social workers assistant are Seattle, WA, Santa Rosa, CA, and Buffalo, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $44,042 | $21.17 |
| 2 | Santa Rosa, CA | $43,843 | $21.08 |
| 3 | Buffalo, NY | $43,255 | $20.80 |
| 4 | Beaverton, OR | $42,064 | $20.22 |
| 5 | Anchorage, AK | $42,048 | $20.22 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $40,091 | $19.27 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $39,966 | $19.21 |
| 8 | Baltimore, MD | $38,666 | $18.59 |
| 9 | Grand Rapids, MI | $35,861 | $17.24 |
| 10 | Akron, OH | $35,851 | $17.24 |
| 11 | Davenport, IA | $34,474 | $16.57 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $33,283 | $16.00 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $32,661 | $15.70 |
| 14 | Kearny, NJ | $32,556 | $15.65 |
| 15 | Lynchburg, VA | $29,269 | $14.07 |
| 16 | Jeffersonville, IN | $29,196 | $14.04 |
| 17 | Manchester, NH | $28,545 | $13.72 |
A social worker assistant's salary ranges from $27,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $51,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| 75th Percentile | $44,000 | $3,667 | $21 |
| Average | $37,542 | $3,129 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $31,000 | $2,583 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $27,000 | $2,250 | $13 |
The highest paying types of social workers assistant are clinical social worker, psychiatric social worker, and medical social worker.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Support Worker | $38,207 | $3,184 | $18.37 | 159,875 |
| Outreach Worker | $37,639 | $3,137 | $18.10 | 65,822 |
| Case Worker | $41,459 | $3,455 | $19.93 | 107,329 |
| Service Worker | $30,045 | $2,504 | $14.44 | 103,584 |
| Family Worker | $36,992 | $3,083 | $17.78 | 101,552 |
| Psychiatric Social Worker | $59,144 | $4,929 | $28.43 | 57,284 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for social worker assistants, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Sarah Christa Butts MSW
Director of Public Policy, National Association of Social Workers
Top companies hiring social workers assistant now:
Social worker assistant salaries at Minnesota State Fair and Catholic Health East are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average social worker assistant salary at companies like Pacific Medical Centers and New York State Restaurant Association are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota State Fair | $54,223 | $26.07 |
| 2 | Catholic Health East | $53,496 | $25.72 |
| 3 | Pacific Medical Centers | $53,161 | $25.56 |
| 4 | New York State Restaurant Association | $51,830 | $24.92 |
| 5 | Dialysis Clinic | $47,336 | $22.76 |
| 6 | Mount Sinai Health System | $44,704 | $21.49 |
| 7 | BridgeView | $43,425 | $20.88 |
| 8 | State Bar of Michigan | $43,262 | $20.80 |
| 9 | Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr. | $41,993 | $20.19 |
| 10 | Sanford-Good Samaritan Community Health | $41,894 | $20.14 |
| 11 | Genesis Financial Solutions, Inc. | $41,723 | $20.06 |
| 12 | University of Rochester | $41,668 | $20.03 |
| 13 | University of Washington | $40,329 | $19.39 |
| 14 | Samaritas | $39,924 | $19.19 |
| 15 | Sharp HealthCare | $39,917 | $19.19 |
| 16 | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | $38,524 | $18.52 |
| 17 | Amedisys | $38,433 | $18.48 |
| 18 | Summit County | $37,616 | $18.08 |
| 19 | LifePoint Health | $35,842 | $17.23 |
| 20 | MJHS Health System | $35,411 | $17.02 |
The average social worker assistant salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finance | $49,756 | $23.92 |
| 2 | Education | $38,152 | $18.34 |
| 3 | Government | $36,947 | $17.76 |
| 4 | Health Care | $36,071 | $17.34 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $33,922 | $16.31 |
The average social worker assistant salary has risen by $7,538 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average social worker assistant earned $30,004 annually, but today, they earn $37,542 a year. That works out to a 13% change in pay for social workers assistant over the last decade.
Compare social worker assistant salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare social worker assistant salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,500 | $18.05 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | $36,600 | $17.60 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $35,200 | $16.94 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $34,600 | $16.62 | +4.0% |
| 2021 | $33,200 | $15.97 | +3.1% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State of Michigan | Assistance Payments Worker | Michigan City, ND | 06/28/2025 | $48,526 |
| Kaweah Health | Per Diem Social Work Assistant | Visalia, CA | 06/27/2025 | $45,100 |
| Welbehealth | Social Work Assistant | San Jose, CA | 06/26/2025 | $47,563 |
| 01 Kaweah Delta Health Care District | Per Diem Social Work Assistant | Visalia, CA | 06/25/2025 | $45,100 |
| MJHS Health System | Social Work Care Manager or Student Loan Assistance! | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $77,099 |
| Welbe Health | Social Work Assistant | San Jose, CA | 06/24/2025 | $47,563 |
| Seen Health | Social Work Assistant | Alhambra, CA | 06/22/2025 | $41,740 |
| Syracuse City School District | Social Work Assistant (Leap)-Student Support Services) | Syracuse, NY | 06/21/2025 | $41,200 |
| Commonspirit Health at Home | Licensed Social Worker/Medical Social Work Assistant Home Health | Houston, TX | 06/19/2025 | $45,351 |
| State of New York | Social Work Assistant 1, (NY Helps), Manhattan Psychiatric Center, P26259 | New York, NY | 06/07/2025 | $53,764 |
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