Pay by state · 53 areas
Healthcare Social Worker Salary by State (2026)
Healthcare Social Workers earn the most in District of Columbia at $94,100 a year and the least in Arkansas at $55,640 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $67,880. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $94,100District of Columbia
- National median
- $67,880BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $55,640Arkansas
- Areas reporting
- 53of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for healthcare social workers
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$94,100
- 2California$89,660
- 3Hawaii$85,420
- 4Oregon$84,350
- 5New Jersey$82,690
Lowest median pay
- 1Arkansas$55,640
- 2Oklahoma$56,120
- 3Montana$57,090
- 4South Dakota$57,510
- 5Missouri$59,870
All states
Healthcare Social Worker salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of healthcare social workers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $94,100 | $75,360 | $107,500 | 420 | $85,623 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $89,660 | $67,630 | $118,740 | 17,690 | $80,979 |
| 3 | HIHawaii | $85,420 | $70,500 | $96,190 | 660 | $77,689 |
| 4 | OROregon | $84,350 | $67,170 | $101,640 | 2,320 | $81,607 |
| 5 | NJNew Jersey | $82,690 | $68,090 | $99,530 | 4,310 | $75,998 |
| 6 | VTVermont | $81,140 | $72,050 | $100,520 | 250 | $82,831 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $79,900 | $66,290 | $96,470 | 1,650 | $77,116 |
| 8 | WAWashington | $78,570 | $59,690 | $98,990 | 5,180 | $73,421 |
| 9 | NVNevada | $78,470 | $63,460 | $86,610 | 1,160 | $78,486 |
| 10 | NHNew Hampshire | $78,260 | $70,530 | $89,750 | 590 | $75,131 |
| 11 | UTUtah | $78,150 | $63,370 | $94,110 | 1,750 | $79,048 |
| 12 | MDMaryland | $76,440 | $55,660 | $85,150 | 4,750 | $72,828 |
| 13 | MAMassachusetts | $76,440 | $60,300 | $92,110 | 7,220 | $72,279 |
| 14 | RIRhode Island | $75,390 | $58,940 | $85,700 | 630 | $73,709 |
| 15 | IDIdaho | $74,500 | $58,460 | $80,460 | 750 | $78,015 |
| 16 | MNMinnesota | $73,970 | $61,180 | $84,260 | 2,430 | $75,004 |
| 17 | NYNew York | $73,070 | $57,630 | $91,950 | 20,440 | $67,707 |
| 18 | MEMaine | $71,610 | $61,000 | $78,810 | 790 | $73,787 |
| 19 | TXTexas | $69,990 | $52,950 | $80,910 | 10,880 | $72,112 |
| 20 | MIMichigan | $67,600 | $60,150 | $79,310 | 4,860 | $70,258 |
| 21 | WIWisconsin | $66,910 | $59,640 | $78,830 | 3,770 | $71,109 |
| 22 | VAVirginia | $66,550 | $60,430 | $78,170 | 3,070 | $65,823 |
| 23 | NMNew Mexico | $65,930 | $55,820 | $77,600 | 1,200 | $71,498 |
| 24 | FLFlorida | $64,820 | $57,840 | $76,280 | 10,520 | $62,680 |
| 25 | DEDelaware | $64,620 | $51,230 | $79,420 | 780 | $64,744 |
| 26 | INIndiana | $64,580 | $57,270 | $78,880 | 3,890 | $69,196 |
| 27 | KSKansas | $64,440 | $56,720 | $75,200 | 1,360 | $71,546 |
| 28 | ILIllinois | $64,270 | $54,270 | $78,610 | 4,910 | $64,297 |
| 29 | KYKentucky | $64,080 | $49,990 | $77,660 | 1,980 | $71,074 |
| 30 | AZArizona | $64,030 | $53,210 | $80,100 | 3,100 | $63,599 |
| 31 | OHOhio | $63,610 | $51,270 | $76,930 | 8,930 | $68,564 |
| 32 | COColorado | $63,480 | $49,490 | $81,030 | 3,670 | $61,600 |
| 33 | NCNorth Carolina | $63,280 | $53,000 | $77,160 | 5,120 | $67,086 |
| 34 | IAIowa | $63,050 | $51,170 | $74,320 | 1,550 | $71,842 |
| 35 | NDNorth Dakota | $62,860 | $56,150 | $74,190 | 330 | $70,662 |
| 36 | GAGeorgia | $62,420 | $51,790 | $76,450 | 6,970 | $64,823 |
| 37 | NENebraska | $62,420 | $53,290 | $74,060 | 980 | $69,276 |
| 38 | WYWyoming | $62,260 | $49,070 | $82,760 | 180 | $67,169 |
| 39 | MSMississippi | $62,250 | $49,490 | $67,530 | 1,890 | $71,590 |
| 40 | AKAlaska | $62,000 | $47,620 | $84,990 | 480 | $60,571 |
| 41 | PAPennsylvania | $61,900 | $57,200 | $76,040 | 9,630 | $63,440 |
| 42 | TNTennessee | $61,240 | $48,820 | $76,200 | 5,970 | $66,659 |
| 43 | LALouisiana | $61,080 | $57,450 | $73,340 | 1,970 | $69,246 |
| 44 | SCSouth Carolina | $60,840 | $45,020 | $76,270 | 3,100 | $64,897 |
| 45 | WVWest Virginia | $60,140 | $51,350 | $77,540 | 1,100 | $67,198 |
| 46 | ALAlabama | $60,000 | $48,350 | $65,710 | 2,850 | $67,550 |
| 47 | MOMissouri | $59,870 | $46,430 | $73,740 | 4,430 | $65,924 |
| 48 | SDSouth Dakota | $57,510 | $49,650 | $72,640 | 790 | $64,920 |
| 49 | MTMontana | $57,090 | $48,570 | $68,240 | 840 | $60,320 |
| 50 | GUGuam | $56,990 | $49,730 | $68,270 | 100 | N/A |
| 51 | OKOklahoma | $56,120 | $43,180 | $70,290 | 2,310 | $63,887 |
| 52 | ARArkansas | $55,640 | $45,610 | $65,910 | 1,250 | $64,000 |
| 53 | PRPuerto Rico | $36,050 | $28,860 | $46,320 | 1,200 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For healthcare social workers, the adjustment does not change the leader: District of Columbia is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $85,623.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Healthcare Social Worker pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays healthcare social workers the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for healthcare social workers at $94,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($89,660) and Hawaii ($85,420).
Which state pays healthcare social workers the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, Arkansas reports the lowest median for healthcare social workers at $55,640 a year, $38,460 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $56,990 and Puerto Rico reports $36,050.
Is the highest-paying state the best for healthcare social workers after cost of living?
Yes. District of Columbia stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $85,623 in national-average dollars from a raw $94,100. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.