Healthcare social workers

Detailed Occupation

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2024 Workforce

85.2k

Average Age

44.2

Estimated Job Growth

7.71%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$60,648

Average Male Salary

$58,528

Average Female Salary

$61,230

About

Healthcare social workers are most often employed by the Individual & family services industry. The average yearly wage for Healthcare social workers was $60,648 in 2024.

The locations that employ the most Healthcare social workers are Kisatchie Delta Regional Planning & Development District 2--Rapides & Vernon Parishes PUMA, LA, NYC-Brooklyn Community District 5--East New York & Cypress Hills PUMA, NY, and Capital Region Planning Commission 7--Tangipahoa & Washington Parishes PUMA, LA. The locations with a relatively high concentration of Healthcare social workers are Pima County (West) PUMA, AZ, Cumberland County (South)--Vineland & Millville Cities PUMA, NJ, and Acadiana Regional Development District 3--Lafayette Parish (North) PUMA, LA.

Management, business, science, & arts occupations Community & Social Service Occupations Education, legal, community service, arts, & media occupations

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Healthcare social workers workforce. Healthcare social workers workforce in 2024 was 85,245 people, of which 78.5% were women and 21.5% were men.

Healthcare social workers are paid most in Sacramento County (West)--Sacramento City (Central/Downtown & Midtown) PUMA, CA but are relatively concentrated in Pima County (West) PUMA, AZ.

Employment Over Time

Metric

Grouping

18,362

Male Workforce

± 3.33k

66,883

Female Workforce

± 6.35k

The Healthcare social workers workforce in 2024 was 85,245 people (78.5% women and 21.5% men). This implies an average annual growth of −16.4% between 2018 (101,950) and 2024 (85,245).

Employment by Location

Level

Metric

This map shows the states in the United States shaded by average wage for Healthcare social workers.

During 2024, the states that concentrated the best average annual wage were Nevada ($79,323), Maryland ($79,136), and New Jersey ($78,485).

Yearly Wage Ranking

$60,648

AVERAGE WAGE

#271 in the ranking (2018)

$69,878

NATIONAL AVERAGE WAGE

For all occupations across the US

In 2024, Healthcare social workers earned an average of $60,648, $9,230 less than the average national salary of $69,878

The graph shows the ranking of Healthcare social workers in relation to all Detailed Occupation in 2018.

In 2024, Healthcare social workers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.286, which is lower than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Healthcare social workers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

The graphic shows the distribution of average salaries by buckets for Healthcare social workers compared to the entire workforce in the country.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Healthcare social workers and on wages for those in the field. Individual & family services is the industry that employs the most Healthcare social workers, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Healthcare social workers, by average wage, is Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals ($93,576).

Occupations by Industries

Metric

Value

85.2k

2024 Workforce

± 7,166

0.0798%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 11.9%

This graphic shows the share of Healthcare social workers employed by various industries. Individual & family services employs the largest share of Healthcare social workers at 51.9%, followed by Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities with 23.8% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 16.5%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Healthcare social workers in the US. The workforce of Healthcare social workers in 2024 was 85,245 people, with 78.5% woman, and 21.5% men. The average age of male Healthcare social workers in the workforce is 44.5 and of female Healthcare social workers is 44.1, and the most common race/ethnicity for Healthcare social workers is White.

Gender and Age

Metric

The workforce of Healthcare social workers in 2024 was 85,245 people, with 78.5% woman, and 21.5% men.

The age ranges that concentrated the largest workforce were 30 to 34 years (10,965 people), 35 to 39 years (10,697 people), and 40 to 44 years (10,505 people). Among them they concentrated 37.9% of the total workforce.

Ethnicity

Gender

In 2024, 16.4% of Healthcare social workers workers were Hispanic and 83.6% non-Hispanic.

The treemap shows the distribution of Hispanic workers according to their origin, highlighting Mexican (53.7%), Puerto Rican (17.2)%, and Dominican (6.83)%

You can review this information by gender using the selectors above.

Races

In 2024, 53.8% of the Healthcare social workers workforce were White, of which 80.7% were women and 19.3% men. Other races that concentrated a significant number of workers were Black (24.9%) and Two or More Races (10.6%).

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices for Healthcare social workers from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Healthcare social workers is Public Administration and Social Service but the most specialized major according to RCA in 2024 were Public Administration and Social Service.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

Type of Majors

Degree

The most common majors achieved by Healthcare social workers in 2024 (counting all academic degrees) were Public Administration and Social Service (13,285 people), Psychology (9,978 people), and Social Sciences (5,118 people).

You can review this information for different academic grades by modifying the option selected in the selector above.

Education Levels

Metric

The main educational levels achieved by the Healthcare social workers workers were Graduate Degree (31,040 people), Bachelors Degree (22,786 people), and High School or Equivalent (12,325 people).

The graphic shows the Healthcare social workers workforce by gender and educational level.

Projections

Projections on job growth for Healthcare Social Workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.07%, but Healthcare Social Workers are expected to see a growth of 7.71% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

7.71%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.07%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Healthcare social workers. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.07%, the average rate of national job growth.