Child and family social worker salary
by state.
Where does the pay differ? Compare the same occupation across 51 retained state/DC markets, then explore the local wage distribution.
Source occupation: Child, Family, and School Social Workers. Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.
Highest published median wages
Among 51 retained markets with exact annual medians. State and DC figures describe each whole market, across employer industries.
Salary by state and DC
Compare published May 2025 wages. Rank uses exact medians among available markets; ties share a rank. The middle half is the 25th–75th percentile, across experience levels.
51 of 51 retained state/DC markets · US median $59,550/year
| Rank | State / DC | Median | Middle half | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $78,970 | $62,030 – $100,510 | +32.6% |
| 2 | Maryland | $76,390 | $56,920 – $93,940 | +28.3% |
| 3 | New Jersey | $76,280 | $59,530 – $97,500 | +28.1% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $75,570 | $61,150 – $94,650 | +26.9% |
| 5 | Washington | $74,480 | $58,920 – $86,700 | +25.1% |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $73,550 | $59,730 – $99,500 | +23.5% |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $71,010 | $50,680 – $80,810 | +19.2% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $69,870 | $50,760 – $85,770 | +17.3% |
| 9 | Hawaii | $68,270 | $58,290 – $79,860 | +14.6% |
| 10 | Minnesota | $67,450 | $56,510 – $81,720 | +13.3% |
| 11 | Vermont | $67,340 | $58,570 – $74,940 | +13.1% |
| 12 | California | $65,200 | $52,270 – $82,080 | +9.5% |
| 13 | New York | $65,100 | $56,230 – $79,510 | +9.3% |
| 14 | North Dakota | $64,560 | $57,070 – $74,520 | +8.4% |
| 15 | Oregon | $64,130 | $54,420 – $80,130 | +7.7% |
| 16 | Colorado | $63,720 | $51,540 – $82,820 | +7.0% |
| 17 | Maine | $63,290 | $56,720 – $76,630 | +6.3% |
| 18 | Illinois | $63,220 | $52,320 – $81,650 | +6.2% |
| 19 | Alaska | $62,630 | $50,590 – $76,290 | +5.2% |
| 20 | Virginia | $61,330 | $49,600 – $78,530 | +3.0% |
| 21 | Nevada | $61,080 | $49,960 – $76,630 | +2.6% |
| 22 | Idaho | $59,840 | $47,860 – $74,190 | +0.5% |
| 23 | North Carolina | $59,610 | $49,010 – $68,120 | +0.1% |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $59,280 | $47,980 – $70,010 | -0.5% |
| 25 | Michigan | $59,270 | $47,740 – $75,380 | -0.5% |
| 26 | Kentucky | $59,100 | $46,230 – $67,260 | -0.8% |
| 27 | Louisiana | $56,800 | $41,640 – $63,310 | -4.6% |
| 28 | Montana | $56,780 | $45,380 – $59,520 | -4.7% |
| 29 | Florida | $56,550 | $47,130 – $64,940 | -5.0% |
| 30 | Wyoming | $56,420 | $36,680 – $61,490 | -5.3% |
| 31 | Tennessee | $56,310 | $46,660 – $68,720 | -5.4% |
| 32 | New Mexico | $56,160 | $45,470 – $78,090 | -5.7% |
| 33 | Texas | $55,680 | $46,330 – $63,870 | -6.5% |
| 34 | Kansas | $54,300 | $48,050 – $61,470 | -8.8% |
| 35 | Iowa | $52,250 | $45,460 – $65,040 | -12.3% |
| 36 | West Virginia | $52,220 | $45,510 – $58,720 | -12.3% |
| 37 | Utah | $52,000 | $43,410 – $73,230 | -12.7% |
| 38 | South Carolina | $51,800 | $44,810 – $57,550 | -13.0% |
| 39 | Ohio | $51,520 | $47,310 – $61,160 | -13.5% |
| 40 | South Dakota | $51,100 | $46,010 – $59,100 | -14.2% |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $50,820 | $44,700 – $63,480 | -14.7% |
| 42 | Indiana | $50,470 | $46,780 – $59,610 | -15.2% |
| 43 | Arizona | $50,150 | $45,870 – $57,540 | -15.8% |
| 44 | Delaware | $48,520 | $47,440 – $58,670 | -18.5% |
| 44 | Missouri | $48,520 | $44,300 – $55,740 | -18.5% |
| 46 | Nebraska | $47,770 | $44,180 – $55,980 | -19.8% |
| 47 | Georgia | $47,510 | $41,600 – $60,250 | -20.2% |
| 48 | Alabama | $46,660 | $41,890 – $59,560 | -21.6% |
| 49 | Mississippi | $46,530 | $40,190 – $53,730 | -21.9% |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $43,950 | $40,250 – $52,210 | -26.2% |
| 51 | Arkansas | $43,330 | $37,350 – $52,130 | -27.2% |
Unavailable or bounded values are excluded from rankings. State wages are not adjusted for cost of living, taxes, hours, industry mix or seniority. Annual and hourly values are published separately; one is not calculated from the other.
What these numbers mean
The wage reference is May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, distributed through O*NET OnLine. The report compares only the same occupation group, year and native pay unit. Some detailed career profiles share a broader wage group. The group used here is “Child, Family, and School Social Workers.”
The national median is a published national statistic, not an average of the state medians. Relative differences divide a state's median by that national median. Rankings exclude censored or unavailable medians, keep ties, and do not measure individual workers or current vacancies. No wages are extrapolated to 2026.
Official wage reference · BLS wage definitions · Read this report in Markdown
Occupation text includes the O*NET® 31.0 Database, USDOL/ETA, used under CC BY 4.0. Wages.fyi selected and organized the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. License details.
Cite: Wages.fyi, “Child and family social worker salary by state,” May 2025 wage reference. Canonical report.
Use the comparison
A market reference is a starting point. Inspect local responsibilities and wages, compare written offers, or plan a hiring range with your own assumptions.
Common questions
Which states have the highest child and family social worker wages?
Among the 51 retained state/DC markets with an exact annual median, Connecticut ($78,970), Maryland ($76,390), New Jersey ($76,280) lead the comparison. These are published May 2025 occupational wages, without cost-of-living or seniority adjustments. DC is a separate market, not a state.
Does the middle-half range show entry-level and senior salaries?
No. The 25th and 75th percentiles describe the distribution of wages for this occupation in that geography. They are not experience bands, job levels, hiring ranges or guaranteed offers.
Is this base salary or total compensation?
Neither label describes OEWS wages precisely. Published wages include regular pay and certain incentives, while excluding overtime premiums and employer benefits. They do not measure a complete salary, bonus and equity package.
Should I move to the market with the highest pay?
Compare housing and other costs, working hours, licensing requirements, local opportunities and the actual job offer. A higher statewide median does not establish higher take-home pay or purchasing power.