Facts and Figures

• The largest group of social workers in the United States as of May 2010 was child, family and school social workers, and numbered approximately 277,670. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary in this category of social workers was $39,960. The second-largest category of social workers, health-care social workers, numbered about 143,080 and earned a median salary of $47,230. In its "all other" category, a holder for social workers who don't fall into the delineated categories, the BLS reports employment totals of approximately 69,920 as of May 2010, with a median salary of $51,500.
  
  

Where to Work

• Social workers in the "all other" category earned the highest salaries from employers in West Virginia, at $67,890. Employers in South Dakota earned a close second place, with salaries of $67,060, both far above the median for their category. Connecticut was home to the highest salaries for child, family and school social workers, who earned $61,690. Minnesota, with salaries of $54,820, was also above average. Health-care social workers earned the highest salaries in the District of Columbia, with above-national-median wages of $70,370. Nevada's employers in the profession paid the second-highest salaries, at $64,290.
  
  

Requirements

• Because all social workers must have a master's degree, usually called the MSW or master of social work, the BLS does not incorporate educational factors into its salary calculations. While social workers with a Ph.D. may earn a higher salary, it is not a guarantee. Figures for the BLS Occupational Employment and Wages report assume all social workers accounted for have the minimum educational requirement of a degree in social work, which also requires at least 3,000 hours of observed social work practicum.
  
  

Salary Prep

• Attaining a salary as a social worker requires attending a school offering the social work major. As of June 2011, the Council on Social Work Education accredits 227 universities and colleges offering social work master's degrees. Students preparing for careers in social work often complete a social work undergraduate major (though this is not always a requirement for earning a place in a social work master's program). The Council on Social Work Education accredits 495 undergraduate programs in social work; some schools offer both undergraduate and graduate training, with some accelerated programs.