National Salary Info » Social Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Social Workers

The top 100 highest paying industries for social workers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $78,080, health and personal care stores is the highest paying industry for social workers. It is followed by retail trade industry (average annual salary $72,280). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of social workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Social Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Health and Personal Care Stores	$78,080	$51,930	n/a
2	Retail Trade	$72,280	$34,430	n/a
3	Federal government, including USPS	$71,910	$59,910	12,970
4	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$71,910	$59,910	12,970
5	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$70,340	$43,280	530
6	Insurance Carriers	$62,610	$38,860	2,070
7	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$60,860	$44,720	30
8	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$60,350	$38,750	3,050
9	Finance and Insurance	$60,310	$38,710	3,080
10	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$58,970	$33,730	32,710
11	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$58,590	$37,170	2,470
12	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$58,360	$37,280	2,730
13	Educational Services - Local government owned	$58,290	$32,350	34,730
14	Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers	$58,280	$37,620	1,240
15	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$57,900	$37,620	43,650
16	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - State government owned	$57,870	$34,180	5,250
17	Hospitals - State government owned	$57,700	$34,100	n/a
18	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$57,530	$33,140	2,210
19	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$57,480	$37,010	52,770
20	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$57,480	$32,890	38,090
21	Hospitals - Privately owned	$56,690	$35,380	52,820
22	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$56,550	$35,170	67,680
23	Other Insurance Related Activities	$56,310	$38,400	980
24	Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities	$56,310	$38,400	980
25	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$56,120	$39,820	n/a
26	Elementary and Secondary Schools - State government owned	$55,940	$29,450	600
27	Educational Services	$55,390	$31,260	46,870
28	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$54,990	$35,300	6,910
29	Hospitals - Local government owned	$54,780	$35,020	n/a
30	Home Health Care Services	$53,650	$34,040	19,140
31	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$52,960	$32,960	134,550
32	Real Estate	$51,960	$30,180	300
33	Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$51,760	$30,610	1,070
34	All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	$51,750	$30,610	1,070
35	Legal Services	$51,680	$32,500	880
36	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$51,240	$32,980	92,670
37	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$50,860	$33,000	740
38	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$50,770	$30,400	2,770
39	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$50,450	$32,210	244,410
40	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals	$50,410	$30,880	12,170
41	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$50,240	$31,910	n/a
42	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$50,230	$28,970	190
43	Office Administrative Services	$49,690	$31,040	520
44	Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	$49,290	$31,180	350
45	Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	$48,830	$31,000	3,940
46	Educational Services - State government owned	$48,810	$30,090	3,270
47	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$48,660	$32,110	191,550
48	Federal, State, and Local Government	$48,660	$32,110	191,550
49	Other Information Services	$48,570	$36,280	30
50	Employment Services	$48,380	$30,280	2,630
51	Educational Support Services - Local government owned	$48,290	$28,530	820
52	Offices of Physicians	$47,810	$29,550	8,610
53	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - State government owned	$47,610	$29,840	n/a
54	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$47,570	$29,660	4,780
55	Scientific Research and Development Services	$47,480	$27,450	860
56	Temporary Help Services	$47,430	$30,510	2,090
57	Administrative and Support Services	$46,980	$27,540	3,480
58	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$46,980	$27,540	3,480
59	Educational Services - Privately owned	$46,910	$28,550	8,870
60	Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)	$46,360	$31,550	16,760
61	Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals - Privately owned	$46,170	$28,380	6,700
62	Business schools and computer and management training - Privately owned	$46,090	$36,080	30
63	Religious Organizations	$45,910	$28,300	560
64	Other Schools and Instruction	$45,720	$28,790	630
65	Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists	$45,610	$27,160	1,840
66	Ambulatory Health Care Services	$45,550	$27,940	80,880
67	Other schools and instruction - Privately owned	$45,470	$28,310	610
68	Educational Support Services	$45,440	$26,770	2,650
69	Junior colleges - State government owned	$45,250	$33,990	n/a
70	Consumer Goods Rental	$45,130	$39,550	50
71	Rental and Leasing Services	$45,130	$39,550	50
72	Offices of Other Health Practitioners	$44,550	$26,340	10,500
73	Personal and Laundry Services	$44,420	$36,560	n/a
74	Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)	$44,370	$26,210	8,100
75	Educational Support Services - Privately owned	$43,840	$26,280	1,840
76	State government, including schools and hospitals	$43,680	$31,020	96,890
77	Technical and Trade Schools	$43,630	$26,900	n/a
78	Technical and trade schools - Privately owned	$43,170	$26,660	n/a
79	Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly	$42,970	$23,040	4,540
80	Business Schools and Computer and Management Training	$42,960	$28,430	n/a
81	Health Care and Social Assistance	$42,740	$26,760	335,800
82	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$42,570	$30,830	85,910
83	Offices of All Other Health Practitioners	$42,270	$24,650	540
84	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$41,870	$24,400	150
85	Grantmaking and Giving Services	$41,610	$26,860	3,040
86	Outpatient Care Centers	$41,230	$26,800	41,480
87	Information	$41,200	$24,770	140
88	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$40,810	$25,820	4,980
89	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$40,000	$24,880	13,790
90	Social Advocacy Organizations	$39,990	$26,210	7,390
91	Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities	$39,960	$27,240	19,200
92	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$39,940	$24,860	13,730
93	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities	$39,470	$25,070	58,240
94	Activities Related to Real Estate	$38,830	$28,510	110
95	Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers	$38,630	$26,130	32,090
96	Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories	$38,060	$24,660	60
97	Individual and Family Services	$37,910	$26,150	104,140
98	Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities	$37,420	$22,670	8,120
99	Social Assistance	$37,320	$25,620	129,010
100	Vocational Rehabilitation Services	$37,310	$23,930	4,580