Healthcare social workers

Detailed Occupation

Add Comparison

2020 Workforce

96.8k

Average Age

43.9

Estimated Job Growth

14.4%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$49,475

Average Male Salary

$48,592

Average Female Salary

$49,739

About

Healthcare social workers are most often employed by the Individual & family services industry. The average yearly wage for Healthcare social workers was $49,475 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Healthcare social workers by wage are Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, Miscellaneous health technologists & technicians, and Actors.

Healthcare social workers are part of the Community & Social Service Occupations, along with Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, Marriage and family therapists, Mental health counselors, Rehabilitation counselors, and 11 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Healthcare social workers are Forest Acres City & Dentsville PUMA, SC, Thornton Township PUMA, IL, and Rapides & Vernon Parishes PUMA, LA. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Healthcare social workers are Medford & Central Point Cities PUMA, OR, Thornton Township PUMA, IL, and Rapides & Vernon Parishes PUMA, LA.

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Healthcare social workers and on wages and locations 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 Management, scientific & technical consulting services. Healthcare social workers are paid most in Clinton, Fort Washington (South), Rosaryville & Croom PUMA, MD but are relatively concentrated in Medford & Central Point Cities PUMA, OR.

Yearly Wage

$49,475

AVERAGE SALARY

± $2,517

In 2020, Healthcare social workers earned an average of $49,475, $6,479 less than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors make somewhat more than Healthcare social workers while Actors make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Healthcare social workers as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.281

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Healthcare social workers had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.281, which is lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly for Healthcare social workers (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Healthcare social workers.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Healthcare social workers

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Healthcare social workers.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Healthcare social workers, by number of employees, are Individual & family services, Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities, General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals, Administration of human resource programs, Outpatient care centers, Community food & housing, & emergency services , Home health care services, Nursing Care Facilities, Vocational rehabilitation services, Elementary & secondary schools, and Justice, public order, & safety activities .

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Healthcare social workers, by average wage, are Management, scientific & technical consulting services, Offices of physicians, and Insurance carriers.

Industries by Share

96.8k

2020 Workforce

± 7,637

−0.113%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 11.2%

The number of people employed as Healthcare social workers has been declining at a rate of −0.113%, from 96,939 people in 2019 to 96,829 people in 2020.

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 36.9%, followed by Residential care facilities, except skilled nursing facilities with 16.6% and General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals with 8.4%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Healthcare social workers in the US. The average age of male Healthcare social workers in the workforce is 44.4 and of female Healthcare social workers is 43.8, and the most common race/ethnicity for Healthcare social workers is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

22.3k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 3,665

74.5k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 6,701

77% of Healthcare social workers are Female, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Healthcare social workers.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Healthcare social workers

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

56.7% of Healthcare social workers are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 23.2% of Healthcare social workers, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Healthcare social workers.

Age by Sex

44.4

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 2.18

43.8

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 1.17

The median age of Healthcare social workers is 43.9, and Male employees are generally 0.647 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

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 a relatively high number of Healthcare social workers hold a major in 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.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Projections

Projections on job growth for Healthcare Social Workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Healthcare Social Workers are expected to see a growth of 14.4% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

14.4%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

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 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.