Healthcare Social Workers pay in California

In California, the median pay for healthcare social workers is $43.11 an hour ($89,660 a year). About 17,690 people work in this job there.

$43.11Median hourly pay

$67,630–$118,740Middle half of workers, yearly

17,690People in this job in California

That is 32% higher than the U.S. median ($67,880). California ranks 2nd of 51 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for healthcare social workers in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$26.07	$54,220
25% of workers	$32.52	$67,630
Half of workers (median)	$43.11	$89,660
75% of workers	$57.09	$118,740
90% of workers	$64.85	$134,880

Healthcare Social Workers pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Napa	$142,940	160
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles	$133,340	170
Vallejo	$122,450	160
Santa Rosa-Petaluma	$108,530	280
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$107,170	770
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$99,640	2,740
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$97,070	1,030
Visalia	$96,790	190
Modesto	$95,250	220
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$93,200	150
Salinas	$92,540	140
Stockton-Lodi	$91,820	200
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$89,430	100
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$87,570	230
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$85,360	1,430
Fresno	$84,860	610
Chico	$84,810	90
Hanford-Corcoran	$83,940	40
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	$82,630	1,440
Redding	$81,220	60
El Centro	$80,710	30
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$79,830	6,340
Bakersfield-Delano	$77,450	310
Merced	$74,880	50
Yuba City	$74,310	40

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for healthcare social workers

Typical education to start: Master's degree (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
Training on the job: Internship/residency (BLS)
Job outlook: +8.5% over ten years, much faster than average · about 16,900 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	$59,250
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	$65,200
Social and Human Service Assistants	$51,090
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	$86,500
Marriage and Family Therapists	$67,300
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers	$79,000
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other	$58,770
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$103,640

Other job titles for this job

Elder CounselorLMSWSocial WorkerAids Social WorkerBereavement CounselorCertified Health Care Social WorkerCertified Social Worker in Health CareC-swhcClinical Social WorkerDisability AdvocateDisability CoordinatorGeriatric Social Worker

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.