Find the average salary for Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with tips on how to make a powerful case regardless of your current experience level, average pay, and more.
The lowest paid licensed clinical social workers are employed in the states of Ohio and South Dakota, where they make approximately $36,000 annually. The highest paid LCSW’s earn an average annual income of more than $63,000 in the District of Columbia, California and New Jersey.
Starting Salary For LCSW
Are you a social worker looking to make a difference in the world? If so, we’ve got some good news for you: there’s never been a better time to pursue your dream career. That’s because there are more opportunities for social workers than ever before.
If you’re looking for a job as a social worker or entry-level social worker salary, there are many factors that can affect how much money you make when you first start out. One such factor is your education level: those who hold master’s degrees will likely be able to command higher salaries than those with bachelor’s degrees. Another factor is where and how long you’ve worked in the field: if you’ve worked for many years in a private practice setting and have accumulated valuable experience and contacts, then your salary will likely be higher than someone who has just graduated from school and has no experience at all!
Do yourself a favor: don’t settle on an entry-level social worker salary without doing your research first! Use our handy guide below to learn more about what kind of salary range you should expect based on where exactly it is that you’re working or what type of degree (or degrees) you’ve earned.
Social Worker Salaries Can Depend on Degree
Different social work careers can lead to different salaries, but they also may have additional requirements. A BSW may prepare graduates for entry-level positions whereas clinical social workers are typically required to hold a master’s degree. How much you can make with a BSW, therefore, may be different than a clinical social worker salary.
Across industries, workers with master’s degreesExternal link:open_in_new earned $240 more per week than those with bachelor’s degrees in 2020 (weekly earnings of $1,545 vs $1,305), according to the BLS. According to a 2018 study by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (PDF, 3.1MB)External link:open_in_new, 56% of working BSW graduates had an annual income between $30,000 and $39,999. The same report found that the median income for MSW graduates was $42,500.
A higher degree may allow you to earn more as a social worker, though several factors influence a social worker’s income.
BSW Salary
When it comes to BSW salaries, it can be hard to know what’s average. According to the NASW 2018 study, the majority of respondents who held a bachelor’s degree in social work expected to earn between $30,000 and $39,999 in 2018. However, 60% of respondents were already enrolled in MSW programs.
MSW Salary
Graduates with MSWs have a wider range of employment opportunities since most states require social workers to be licensed, and some require license holders to have master’s degrees. Clinical social workers are licensed to diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional disorders. These social workers, sometimes called licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), are required to have a master’s degree in social workExternal link:open_in_new.
Like other fields, clinical social worker salaries vary based on a variety of factors including employment sector, experience and location, but earning an MSW may open the door to LCSW salaries.
DSW Salary
Those looking to continue their social work education can also earn a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree. A DSW degree is a postgraduate program designed for social workers to learn more about research, supervision and policy analysis. A doctoral education in social work may allow graduates to pursue advanced licensure or teaching. DSW salaries vary depending on where graduates choose to work, but the median annual salary for postsecondary social work teachers was $71,570External link:open_in_new in 2020.
Social Work Wage Differences by Location
Social worker salaries also vary by state. A healthcare social worker, for example, earned an annual mean salary of $71,850 in Connecticut while someone in the same position earned $83,000 in California, one of the highest-paying states for healthcare social workersExternal link:open_in_new, according to May 2020 BLS data.
A boost in compensation in the highest-paying states or metropolitan areas may be appealing, but it’s important to consider opportunities for growth, career outlook and cost of living in those areas when deciding where to work.
Below is a closer look at the highest-paying states for four categories of social workers: child, family and school social workers, mental health and substance abuse social workers, healthcare social workers and all other types. All salary values represent mean (or average) salaries at the state level.
The highest-paying states for child, family and school social workersExternal link:open_in_new, based on average salaries in 2020, were:
- District of Columbia (D.C.): $71,840
- New Jersey: $71,110
- Connecticut: $68,230
- Rhode Island: $65,430
- New York: $63,740
Salaries vary based on the specific location within a state, too. Four of the 10 top-paying metropolitan areas for child, family and school social workers were in Connecticut. Another two were in the New York-New Jersey area. Other top-paying metropolitan areas were Washington-Arlington-Alexandria in Virginia, Visalia-Porterville in California, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Portland-South Portland, Maine.
The top-paying non-metropolitan area was Connecticut, with an average annual salary of $74,460, followed by southeast central Idaho, northwest Colorado, south Illinois and Alaska.
Salary information below was retrieved from the Occupational Employment and Wages for child, family and school social workers from the BLS as of March 2022.
Child, Family and School Social Worker Salaries and Jobs
| Top Paying States | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $71,840 | 2,120 jobs |
| New Jersey | $71,110 | 4,720 jobs |
| Connecticut | $68,230 | 5,650 jobs |
| Rhode Island | $65,430 | 1,800 jobs |
| New York | $63,740 | 25,840 jobs |
| Highest Employment Levels | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| California | $58,450 | 38,750 jobs |
| New York | $63,740 | 25,840 jobs |
| Pennsylvania | $46,110 | 20,660 jobs |
| Texas | $50,390 | 20,470 jobs |
| Illinois | $58,080 | 15,780 jobs |
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Salaries by State
According to the BLS, the highest-paying states for mental health and substance abuse social workersExternal link:open_in_new in 2020 were:
- New Jersey: $91,070
- District of Columbia: $73,490
- California: $73,150
- Connecticut: $66,500
- Rhode Island: $65,430
The top-paying metropolitan areas for mental health social workers included eight locations in California. The other two highest-paying metropolitan areas were Watertown-Fort Drum in New York and Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk in Connecticut.
The five top-paying non-metropolitan areas were Alaska, Hawaii/Kauai, southeast Minnesota, the eastern Sierra-Mother Lode region of California and south Illinois.
Salary information below was retrieved from the Occupational Employment and Wages for mental health and substance abuse social workersExternal link:open_in_new from the BLS as of March 2022.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Salaries and Jobs
The five top-paying non-metropolitan areas were Nevada, central New Hampshire, Connecticut, northwest Minnesota and south Nebraska.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Salaries and Jobs
| Top Paying States | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $91,070 | 1,610 jobs |
| District of Columbia | $73,490 | 640 jobs |
| California | $73,150 | 16,920 jobs |
| Connecticut | $66,500 | 1,620 jobs |
| Rhode Island | $65,430 | 480 jobs |
| Highest Employment Levels | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| California | $73,150 | 16,920 jobs |
| New York | $64,750 | 11,020 jobs |
| Pennsylvania | $39,510 | 7,920 jobs |
| Ohio | $47,830 | 7,090 jobs |
| Massachusetts | $49,270 | 6,920 jobs |
Healthcare Social Worker Salaries by State
The BLS reported that the five highest-paying states for healthcare social workersExternal link:open_in_new as of May 2020 were:
- California: $83,000
- District of Columbia: $76,100
- Oregon: $75,730
- Hawaii: $73,410
- Connecticut: $71,850
Eight of the top-paying metropolitan areas were in California. The highest-paying metro area was San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, California, with an annual mean wage of $100,410. Other top-paying metropolitan areas were Salem, Oregon, and Laredo, Texas.
The best-paying non-metropolitan areas for healthcare social workers were Massachusetts, west central-southwest New Hampshire, Hawaii/Kauai, Connecticut and central Oregon.
Salary information below was retrieved from the Occupational Employment and Wages for healthcare social workersExternal link:open_in_new from the BLS as of March 2022.
Healthcare Social Worker Salaries and Jobs
| Top Paying States | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| California | $83,000 | 17,140 jobs |
| District of Columbia | $76,100 | 400 jobs |
| Oregon | $75,730 | 1,800 jobs |
| Hawaii | $73,410 | 630 jobs |
| Connecticut | $71,850 | 2,080 jobs |
| Highest Employment Levels | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $61,510 | 18,290 jobs |
| California | $83,000 | 17,140 jobs |
| Texas | $59,790 | 11,150 jobs |
| Massachusetts | $62,640 | 10,540 jobs |
| Florida | $54,250 | 10,200 jobs |
As the numbers above illustrate, employment levels and salaries vary quite a bit across states.
Prospective MSW students should also note that the salary estimates above do not distinguish between entry-level and more advanced roles. Additionally, these estimates are not just for licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) salaries and MSW graduate salaries, but they also incorporate the wages of social workers who only hold a BSW.
All Other Salaries by Geographic Area
According to the BLS, the highest-paying states for all other social workers as of May 2020External link:open_in_new were:
- Hawaii: $85,740
- Massachusetts: $84,540
- Nevada: $82,410
- Rhode Island: $79,720
- Virginia: $77,060
The top-paying metropolitan areas for all other types of social workers varied, with areas of California, Connecticut and Massachusetts each claiming two of the top 10 spots. The highest-paying metropolitan area was San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara in California, with an annual average wage of $99,810.
The best-paying non-metropolitan areas were central Louisiana, northeast Oklahoma, south Illinois, southeast Alabama and southeast Missouri.
Salaries for Social Workers May Vary by Industry
Social worker salaries also vary depending on the industry or sector of your social work career. Additionally, prospective MSW students should note that the highest-paying industries for social workers might not be the industries with the most available jobs. For example, consider the variance between the national annual mean wages of healthcare social workers in the top-paying industries for their profession versus the salaries of healthcare social workers in the industries with the highest employment levels.
The BLS reported that the 2020 median annual salaries for social workers in the top industriesExternal link:open_in_new were:
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals: $57,660
- Ambulatory healthcare services: $52,850
- State government, excluding education and hospitals: $49,860
- Individual and family services: $43,820
Child, Family and School Social Worker Salaries and Jobs
| Top-Paying Industries | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Business, professional, labor, political and similar organizations | $78,280 | Estimate not released |
| Junior colleges | $66,380 | 550 jobs |
| Elementary and secondary schools | $65,080 | 45,960 jobs |
| Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly | $62,940 | 160 jobs |
| Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals | $61,820 | 180 jobs |
| Highest Employment Levels | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Individual and family services | $45,360 | 84,350 jobs |
| State government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS designation) | $52,000 | 69,950 jobs |
| Local government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS designation) | $58,350 | 62,000 jobs |
| Elementary and secondary schools | $65,080 | 45,960 jobs |
| Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services | $41,740 | 9,620 jobs |
Salary information above was retrieved from the Occupational Employment and Wages for child, family and school social workersExternal link:open_in_new from the BLS as of March 2022.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker Salaries and Jobs
| Top-Paying Industries | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance carriers | $71,460 | 380 jobs |
| Other ambulatory healthcare services | $71,030 | 140 jobs |
| Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals | $70,240 | 190 jobs |
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $65,530 | 6,020 jobs |
| Offices of other health practitioners | $65,040 | 7,260 jobs |
| Highest Employment Levels | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient care centers | $54,380 | 27,790 jobs |
| Individual and family services | $48,550 | 16,320 jobs |
| Local government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS designation) | $60,790 | 14,220 jobs |
| Residential intellectual and developmental disability, mental health and substance abuse facilities | $41,300 | 12,420 jobs |
| Psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals | $57,840 | 9,890 jobs |
Salary information above was retrieved from the Occupational Employment and Wages for mental health and substance abuse social workersExternal link:open_in_new from the BLS as of March 2022.
Healthcare Social Worker Salaries and Jobs
| Top-Paying Industries | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer systems design and related services | $75,370 | 30 jobs |
| Business, professional, labor, political and similar organizations | $71,330 | 260 jobs |
| Junior colleges | $69,080 | 80 jobs |
| Specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals | $67,530 | 2,250 jobs |
| Scientific research and development services | $66,900 | 130 jobs |
| Highest Employment Levels | Salary | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $66,630 | 47,590 jobs |
| Individual and family services | $50,460 | 23,060 jobs |
| Home healthcare services | $63,590 | 20,740 jobs |
| Outpatient care centers | $62,660 | 13,730 jobs |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | $56,640 | 13,680 jobs |
