2023 Salary Report for Social Workers in California

Salary Report for California Social Workers

California Rankings

Compare California to U.S.

California Social Workers earn an average of $64,940 which is 18% more than the national average salary of $54,880.

Type	California	U.S.	% Difference
Average Hourly Wage	$31.22	$26.39	18.30%
Average Annual Salary	$64,940	$54,880	18.33%

Salary Range by Education and Experience

In California, 50% of Social Workers earn between $47,740 and $77,640 a year, depending on factors such as level of education, experience, location and place of employment.

About 10% of Social Workers earn more than $98,560, a rate generally associated with highly educated and experienced Social Workers.

Approximately 10% of Social Workers earn under $38,700, a rate generally reserved for less experienced or entry level Social Workers.

Percent	Experience	Employed	Annual Salary
10%	Less than a Year	4,738	Under $38,700
15%	2 – 4 years	7,107	$38,700 – $47,740
25%	5 – 9 years	11,845	$47,740 – $61,190
25%	10 – 14 years	11,845	$61,190 – $77,640
15%	15 – 20 years	7,107	$61,190 – $98,560
10%	20+ years	4,738	Above $98,560

Adjusted for Cost-of-Living

After being adjusted for cost-of-living, Social Workers in California psychologists earn about $58,833 per year which is more than the average U.S. psychologist of $54,880.

Cost-of-living in California is 10% higher than the national average, which means California residents have an overall higher cost for food, housing, utilities and transportation compared to other states.

More cost-of-living reports for U.S. States.

Salary Compared to Related Professions

With an average annual salary of $64,940, California Social Workers tend to earn less than Industrial Organizational Psychologists ($123,090), Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($122,790), Psychology Teachers ($114,950), Forensic Psychologists ($112,210), School Psychologists ($96,530), and Health Care Social Workers ($84,690).

However, Social Workers tend to earn more than Marriage and Family Therapists ($59,320), and Substance Abuse Counselors ($59,790).

Title	Annual Salary
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	$123,090
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$122,790
Psychology Teachers	$114,950
Forensic Psychologists	$112,210
School Psychologists	$96,530
Health Care Social Workers	$84,690
Social Workers	$64,940
Substance Abuse Counselors	$59,790
Marriage and Family Therapists	$59,320

Projected Demand for Psychologists in 2030

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that in California the three professions needing the most new psychologists by 2030 are Social Workers (51,800), Substance Abuse Counselors (43,500) and Marriage and Family Therapists (32,700).

The three professions in California needing highest percentage new psychologists by 2030 are Substance Abuse Counselors (17.3%), Health Care Social Workers (12.2%) and Marriage and Family Therapists (10.5%).

Title	2020	2030	Change	Yearly Openings
Social Workers	47,200	51,800	9.7%	4,970
Substance Abuse Counselors	37,100	43,500	17.3%	4,330
Marriage and Family Therapists	29,600	32,700	10.5%	3,170
Health Care Social Workers	13,100	14,700	12.2%	1,440
Forensic Psychologists	5,500	5,500	0%	360
Psychology Teachers	3,900	4,200	7.7%	410
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	1,800	1,900	5.6%	120

Salaries Ranked by California Cities

The average salary for Social Workers in California is $64,940. The top cities that pay Social Workers the most are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($76,500), San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward ($72,750) and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim ($69,540).

When adjusted for cost-of-living, the cities that pay Social Workers the highest average annual salary are San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ($68,230), Santa Cruz-Watsonville ($63,252) and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim ($62,150).

The following table shows the average yearly salary range for Social Workers in each city, and the average yearly salary after being adjusted for cost-of-living in that state.

The difference column shows how much more or less purchasing power a Social Workers salary will have in that area.

Area	Average Salary	COL Adjusted	Difference
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$76,500	$68,230	$-8,270
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward	$72,750	$61,983	$-10,767
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$69,540	$62,150	$-7,390
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$69,210	$63,252	$-5,958
Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade	$60,900	$57,399	$-3,501
Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California	$60,570	$60,612	$42
San Diego-Carlsbad	$59,790	$52,730	$-7,060
Vallejo-Fairfield	$59,680	$55,045	$-4,635
Salinas	$59,260	$53,508	$-5,752
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$57,920	$55,848	$-2,072
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$57,640	$51,741	$-5,899
Napa	$57,550	$51,647	$-5,903
Santa Rosa	$56,970	$51,866	$-5,104
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California	$55,670	$55,709	$39
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$55,060	$50,045	$-5,015
North Coast Region of California	$54,860	$54,898	$38
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande	$54,210	$49,493	$-4,717
Chico	$53,960	$53,173	$-787
Fresno	$53,960	$54,046	$86
Visalia-Porterville	$53,130	$54,453	$1,323
Redding	$52,790	$52,838	$48
Yuba City	$51,960	$52,221	$261
Modesto	$51,780	$50,414	$-1,366
Bakersfield	$50,970	$51,391	$421
Hanford-Corcoran	$50,710	$52,779	$2,069
El Centro	$50,400	$53,950	$3,550
Stockton-Lodi	$50,360	$48,516	$-1,844
Merced	$49,540	$49,960	$420

Salary FAQ for California Social Workers

City and Rural Summaries

Official Data Sources for Social Workers: Salary Data | Projected Employment | Cost of Living Data