Social worker demographics and statistics in the US
Social worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates social worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our 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 social workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 255,843 social workers currently employed in the United States.
- 80.5% of all social workers are women, while 19.5% are men.
- The average social worker age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of social workers is White (58.5%), followed by Black or African American (19.9%), Hispanic or Latino (12.3%) and Unknown (5.4%).
- Social workers are most in-demand in New York, NY.
- The government industry is the highest-paying for social workers.
- 13% of all social workers are LGBT.
On this page
Social worker demographics by:
Social worker gender statistics
80.5% of social workers are women and 19.5% of social workers are men.
- Female, 80.5%
- Male, 19.5%
Social worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 80.5% |
| Male | 19.5% |
Social worker gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$49,588
Female income
$50,008
Social worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in social worker positions over time. Currently, 80.5% of social workers are female.
Social worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 18.00% | 82.00% |
| 2011 | 17.25% | 82.75% |
| 2012 | 17.21% | 82.79% |
| 2013 | 16.57% | 83.43% |
| 2014 | 17.43% | 82.57% |
| 2015 | 17.22% | 82.78% |
| 2016 | 17.47% | 82.53% |
| 2017 | 17.09% | 82.91% |
| 2018 | 21.73% | 78.27% |
| 2019 | 22.12% | 77.88% |
| 2020 | 23.87% | 76.13% |
| 2021 | 19.52% | 80.48% |
Social worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Social Worker | 20% | 80% |
| 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%
Social worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among social workers is White, which makes up 58.5% of all social workers. Comparatively, 19.9% of social workers are Black or African American and 12.3% of social workers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 58.5%
- Black or African American, 19.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 12.3%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- Asian, 3.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Social worker race
| Social worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 58.5% |
| Black or African American | 19.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 12.3% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| Asian | 3.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Social worker race and ethnicity over time
See how social worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
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 | 65.80% | 17.35% | 2.18% | 11.32% |
| 2019 | 66.88% | 15.00% | 2.08% | 12.40% |
| 2020 | 62.15% | 15.96% | 3.26% | 12.70% |
| 2021 | 58.45% | 19.92% | 3.32% | 12.27% |
Social worker wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown social workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White social workers have the lowest average salary at $47,677.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $50,284 |
| White | $47,677 |
| Black or African American | $49,590 |
| Asian | $50,186 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $50,255 |
Average social worker age
See how the average age of social workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Social worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 37 | |
| White | 46 | 46 |
| Black or African American | 48 | 44.5 |
| Asian | 38.5 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 35 | 43 |
Social worker age breakdown
The average age of social workers is 40+ years years old, representing 63% of the social worker population.
Social worker age breakdown
| Social Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 63% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 8% |
Social worker educational attainment
The most common degree for social workers is bachelor's degree, with 59% of social workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 33% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Master's, 33%
- Associate, 5%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Social workers by degree level
| Social worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 59% |
| Master's | 33% |
| Associate | 5% |
| High School Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Social worker jobs you might like
Social worker wage gap by degree level
According to the data, social workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $57,862 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, social workers earn a median annual income of $51,700 compared to $49,261 for social workers with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,862 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,439 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,700 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,261 |
Social worker employment statistics
Most social workers work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where social workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where social workers work.
Social worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 7% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 15% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 28% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 26% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Social worker jobs by company type
Employees with the social worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most social workers prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Social worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 7% |
| Public | 4% |
| Private | 57% |
| Government | 32% |
Social worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for social workers are health care, government and non profits.
Social worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 45% |
| Government | 21% |
| Non Profits | 11% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Education | 4% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Social worker turnover and employment statistics
Social worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for social workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Social worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 | 2.61% |
| 2019 | 1.33% |
| 2020 | 2.51% |
| 2021 | 3.18% |
Average social worker tenure
The average social worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 56,137 social workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Social worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 21% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 15% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Social worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 |
| Juvenile Probation Officer | 9.50% | 66,217 |
| Monk | 11.25% | 46 |
| Community Resource Coordinator | 11.48% | 50,842 |
| Social Worker | 12.99% | - |
| Unit Counselor | 15.06% | 45,693 |
| Mental Health Practitioner | 15.06% | 140,365 |
Similar social worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Anger Control Counselor | 8.96% | 58,069 |
| Juvenile Probation Officer | 9.50% | 66,217 |
| Monk | 11.25% | 46 |
| Community Resource Coordinator | 11.48% | 50,842 |
| Unit Counselor | 15.06% | 45,693 |
| Mental Health Practitioner | 15.06% | 140,365 |
Foreign languages spoken by social workers
The most common foreign language among social workers is Spanish at 66.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 7.7% and Russian is the third-most popular at 3.5%.
- Spanish, 66.9%
- French, 7.7%
- Russian, 3.5%
- Portuguese, 2.6%
- Mandarin, 2.3%
- Other, 17.0%
Social worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 66.9% |
| French | 7.7% |
| Russian | 3.5% |
| Portuguese | 2.6% |
| Mandarin | 2.3% |
| Other | 17.0% |
