2023 Salary Report for Social Workers in Texas

Salary Report for Texas Social Workers

Texas Rankings

Compare Texas to U.S.

Texas Social Workers earn an average of $49,310 which is 10% less than the national average salary of $54,880.

Type	Texas	U.S.	% Difference
Average Hourly Wage	$23.71	$26.39	-10.16%
Average Annual Salary	$49,310	$54,880	-10.15%

Salary Range by Education and Experience

In Texas, 50% of Social Workers earn between $42,160 and $59,770 a year, depending on factors such as level of education, experience, location and place of employment.

About 10% of Social Workers earn more than $61,190, a rate generally associated with highly educated and experienced Social Workers.

Approximately 10% of Social Workers earn under $31,880, a rate generally reserved for less experienced or entry level Social Workers.

Percent	Experience	Employed	Annual Salary
10%	Less than a Year	2,137	Under $31,880
15%	2 – 4 years	3,206	$31,880 – $42,160
25%	5 – 9 years	5,342	$42,160 – $47,390
25%	10 – 14 years	5,342	$47,390 – $59,770
15%	15 – 20 years	3,206	$47,390 – $61,190
10%	20+ years	2,137	Above $61,190

Adjusted for Cost-of-Living

After being adjusted for cost-of-living, Social Workers in Texas psychologists earn about $49,538 per year which is less than the average U.S. psychologist of $54,880.

Cost-of-living in Texas is 0% less than the national average, which means Texas residents have an overall less 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 $49,310, Texas Social Workers tend to earn less than Forensic Psychologists ($101,680), Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($82,510), Psychology Teachers ($71,240), School Psychologists ($71,080), Health Care Social Workers ($64,840), Marriage and Family Therapists ($56,950), and Substance Abuse Counselors ($49,510).

Title	Annual Salary
Forensic Psychologists	$101,680
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$82,510
Psychology Teachers	$71,240
School Psychologists	$71,080
Health Care Social Workers	$64,840
Marriage and Family Therapists	$56,950
Substance Abuse Counselors	$49,510
Social Workers	$49,310

Projected Demand for Psychologists in 2030

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that in Texas the three professions needing the most new psychologists by 2030 are Social Workers (23,880), Substance Abuse Counselors (17,960) and Health Care Social Workers (13,380).

The three professions in Texas needing highest percentage new psychologists by 2030 are Substance Abuse Counselors (28.2%), Health Care Social Workers (19.4%) and Psychology Teachers (15.7%).

Title	2020	2030	Change	Yearly Openings
Social Workers	20,870	23,880	14.4%	2,340
Substance Abuse Counselors	14,010	17,960	28.2%	1,860
Health Care Social Workers	11,210	13,380	19.4%	1,340
Forensic Psychologists	3,130	3,420	9.3%	240
Psychology Teachers	2,610	3,020	15.7%	300

Salaries Ranked by Texas Cities

The average salary for Social Workers in Texas is $49,310. The top cities that pay Social Workers the most are Odessa ($52,500), San Angelo ($51,970) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ($51,540).

When adjusted for cost-of-living, the cities that pay Social Workers the highest average annual salary are McAllen-Edinburg-Mission ($54,424), San Angelo ($53,972) and Big Thicket Region of Texas ($53,510).

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
Odessa	$52,500	$52,427	$-73
San Angelo	$51,970	$53,972	$2,002
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	$51,540	$49,058	$-2,482
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land	$50,530	$50,495	$-35
Sherman-Denison	$50,330	$53,254	$2,924
San Antonio-New Braunfels	$50,230	$51,297	$1,067
Austin-Round Rock	$50,120	$49,234	$-886
Laredo	$49,750	$53,334	$3,584
Midland	$49,540	$47,448	$-2,092
Killeen-Temple	$49,320	$52,273	$2,953
Amarillo	$49,190	$51,149	$1,959
Abilene	$49,120	$52,012	$2,892
Tyler	$48,920	$50,464	$1,544
Waco	$48,880	$51,763	$2,883
Big Thicket Region of Texas	$48,860	$53,510	$4,650
Wichita Falls	$48,710	$53,049	$4,339
North Texas Region of Texas	$48,640	$53,269	$4,629
Beaumont-Port Arthur	$48,470	$51,862	$3,392
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission	$48,160	$54,424	$6,264
Victoria	$47,720	$50,042	$2,322
Corpus Christi	$47,130	$48,663	$1,533
Coastal Plains Region of Texas	$46,600	$51,035	$4,435
College Station-Bryan	$46,560	$48,974	$2,414
West Texas Region of Texas	$46,540	$50,969	$4,429
El Paso	$46,250	$49,619	$3,369
Texarkana	$45,020	$50,499	$5,479
Hill Country Region of Texas	$44,700	$48,954	$4,254
Lubbock	$44,470	$46,517	$2,047
Longview	$43,770	$46,653	$2,883
Border Region of Texas	$43,010	$47,103	$4,093
Brownsville-Harlingen	$39,150	$43,616	$4,466

Salary FAQ for Texas Social Workers

City and Rural Summaries

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