Social Worker salary
From 178 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 21-1022: Healthcare Social Workers
- Also filed as: Healthcare Social Worker
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 44% of Social Worker filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Maimonides Medical Center. 10 filings (6% of the total), median $99,409.
- Median up 21% since FY2020. From $60,000 in FY2020 to $72,556 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Social Worker H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 178 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Social Worker jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 21-1022, Healthcare Social Workers). The median base salary is $73,393, 40% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $58,796 and $86,491. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 44% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (56), and Maimonides Medical Center is the employer that files the most (10).
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Social Worker
Employers with the most Social Worker filings. Bar: share of all Social Worker filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 44% of filings
Mid-level · 37% of filings
Senior · 13% of filings
Expert · 6% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $58,614 | 68 |
| Level II · Qualified | $74,160 | 57 |
| Level III · Experienced | $95,320 | 20 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $102,921 | 10 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Social Worker pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 2 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $82,818 | 56 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $62,400 | 43 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Social Worker does
Provide individuals, families, and groups with the psychosocial support needed to cope with chronic, acute, or terminal illnesses. Services include advising family caregivers. Provide patients with information and counseling, and make referrals for other services. May also provide case and care management or interventions designed to promote health, prevent disease, and address barriers to access to healthcare.
Typical tasks
- Advocate for clients or patients to resolve crises.
- Educate clients about end-of-life symptoms and options to assist them in making informed decisions.
- Collaborate with other professionals to evaluate patients' medical or physical condition and to assess client needs.
- Refer patient, client, or family to community resources to assist in recovery from mental or physical illness and to provide access to services such as financial assistance, legal aid, housing, job placement or education.
- Utilize consultation data and social work experience to plan and coordinate client or patient care and rehabilitation, following through to ensure service efficacy.
- Monitor, evaluate, and record client progress according to measurable goals described in treatment and care plan.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Healthcare Social Workers (21-1022.00). 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 (Healthcare Social Workers), the median annual wage was $67,880 in May 2025, with 187,630 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $73,393, 8% higher.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $54,818 | $46,220 |
| 25th percentile | $58,796 | $56,710 |
| Median | $73,393 | $67,880 |
| 75th percentile | $86,491 | $82,240 |
| 90th percentile | $100,214 | $100,360 |
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
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $54,818 |
| 25th | $58,796 |
| 50th (median) | $73,393 |
| 75th | $86,491 |
| 90th | $100,214 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $60,000 | $50,000 | $65,239 | 68 |
| FY2021 | $58,351 | $52,790 | $69,708 | 78 |
| FY2022 | $60,083 | $53,914 | $73,027 | 75 |
| FY2023 | $60,000 | $54,080 | $70,720 | 81 |
| FY2024 | $64,480 | $56,326 | $77,938 | 89 |
| FY2025 | $74,017 | $58,760 | $86,755 | 100 |
| FY2026 | $72,556 | $59,460 | $84,097 | 78 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Social Worker make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Social Worker jobs is $73,393 (178 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $58,796 and $86,491.
What does an entry-level Social Worker earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $58,614. Level I accounts for 44% of Social Worker filings.
Do H-1B Social Workers earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($73,393) is 8% higher than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($67,880, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.