Healthcare Social Worker Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of healthcare social workers to grow 8.5% from 2025 to 2035 (about 16,500 more jobs), with about 16,900 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $67,880 a year ranks 335th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +8.5%
- Openings a year
- 16,900
- Median pay
- $67,880
- Pay rank
- 335th of 825
Is employment of healthcare social workers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of healthcare social workers to rise 8.5% (about 16,500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +7.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 17 community and social service occupations with a projection. That change ranks 89th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 194,800 |
| Employment, 2035 | 211,300 |
| Projected change | +8.5% |
| Openings a year | 16,900 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 194,800 jobs here differ from the 187,630 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 16,900 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 186th most of 830 occupations. About 90% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,650 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for healthcare social workers rank?
The median of $67,880 a year ranks 335th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: master's degree.
- Typical on-the-job training: internship/residency.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | +10.3% | 12,500 | $60,280 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | +4.4% | 33,900 | $59,550 |
| Marriage and Family Therapists | +13.5% | 6,900 | $66,940 |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | +2.2% | 8,200 | $46,850 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants | +7.4% | 48,900 | $45,930 |
| Community Health Workers | +12.7% | 7,000 | $51,850 |
| Health Education Specialists | +5.6% | 6,900 | $64,070 |
| Clinical and Counseling Psychologists | +11.7% | 4,100 | $100,580 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.