School Social Worker salary

At a glance

• Mostly Level I (entry-level). 54% of School Social Worker filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
• Top filer: University Settlement Society of New York. 15 filings (11% of the total), median $68,286.
• Median up 31% since FY2020. From $49,566 in FY2020 to $65,000 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.

School Social Worker H-1B salary overview

Employers filed 132 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for School Social Worker jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 21-1021, Child, Family, and School Social Workers). The median base salary is $60,000, 51% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $51,381 and $68,578. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 54% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (51), and University Settlement Society of New York is the employer that files the most (15).

Top employers for School Social Worker

Employers with the most School Social Worker filings. Bar: share of all School Social Worker filings. Figure: median base salary.

Pay by level

School Social Worker pay by city

Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.

What a School Social Worker does

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.

Typical tasks

• Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
• Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
• Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty.
• Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
• Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.
• Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required.

Preparation

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

O*NET occupation: Child, Family, and School Social Workers (21-1021.00). This section includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers

Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Child, Family, and School Social Workers), the median annual wage was $59,550 in May 2025, with 392,550 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $60,000, 1% higher.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.

Salary details

Salary range