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Social Worker - Federal Salaries of 2022

Pay Rates for "Social Worker"

How much does a Social Worker in the federal government get paid? $85,639.63* *Based on the 2022 average.
18,256 EMPLOYEES
$1.56B TOTAL SALARY
GS MOST COMMON PAYSCALE

Social Worker was the 18th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2022, with 18,256 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.

In 2022, the Veterans Health Administration hired the most employees titled Social Work, with an average salary of $85,536.

Government Social Work jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Social Work job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.

Job Description

This occupation includes positions which require application of a professional knowledge of the principles and practices of social work in the performance of such assignments as providing direct services to individuals and families, including work with individuals in groups. Also included are positions concerned with teaching social work, doing research on social work problems, training of social work students, and providing consultation and advice to members of related professions and community organizations on social work questions.

Agencies that have hired a Social Worker

Social Worker Pay Distribution

The average pay for a Social Worker is $85,639.63. The highest paid Social Worker made $176,300 in 2022.

Common Social Worker Payscales

Payscale Number of Social Work Employees
GS - General Schedule 17,478
AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified 759
* - Invalid 8
EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) 7
EX - Executive Pay 2
GL - Gs Employees In Grades 3 Through 10 Paid A Law Enforcement Officer Special Base Rate 2

Starting Paygrade: $36,070.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1
Maximum Paygrade: $152,771.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10
Category: Professional and Scientific
Occupation Family: 0100 SOCIAL SCIENCE, PSYCHOLOGY, AND WELFARE GROUP

Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade

GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Social Work jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.

Occupation Occupation Category Starting Paygrade Maximum Paygrade
GeographyProfessional and ScientificGS-6GS-15
Respiratory TherapistTechnical and Medical SupportGS-1GS-9
Astronomy and Space ScienceProfessional and ScientificGS-6GS-15
Nursing AssistantTechnical and Medical SupportGS-1GS-9
Emergency ManagementAdministrative and ManagementGS-4GS-15

Average Social Work Pay Trend from 2004 to 2022

In 2004, the average pay for a Social Worker was $59,263. Since then, the average pay has increased to $85,640 in 2022.


Data Sources

The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.

Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.

The series code of this occupation is 0185.

** This Document Provided By www.FederalPay.org - The Civil Employee's Resource **
Source: www.federalpay.org/employees/occupations/social-work