There were approximately 173,900 healthcare social workers at work in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Healthcare social workers are found in varied healthcare settings, including with hospitals, individual family services providers, home health care agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient care centers. Healthcare social work professionals generally earn slightly higher salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations. Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for healthcare social workers was $62,310 per year. Although healthcare social workers realize modestly better than average pay in comparison to most workers, there is considerable variation from state-to-state in how much healthcare social workers earn. Per BLS data, as of May 2021 these were the ten best and worst states for healthcare social worker pay:
The Best and Worst States for Healthcare Social Worker Pay
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| DC | 370 | $87,000 | 1st |
| CA | 13,050 | $84,690 | 2nd |
| OR | 1,830 | $79,870 | 3rd |
| HI | 690 | $73,960 | 4th |
| RI | 620 | $73,230 | 5th |
| CT | 1,800 | $72,010 | 6th |
| WA | 4,040 | $71,800 | 7th |
| NJ | 2,640 | $71,310 | 8th |
| NH | 530 | $68,240 | 9th |
| UT | 1,270 | $67,880 | 10th |
| U.S. | 173,860 | $62,310 | ------- |
| LA | 1,680 | $55,060 | 42nd |
| WV | 860 | $54,830 | 43rd |
| MS | 1,250 | $54,810 | 44th |
| GA | 4,570 | $54,710 | 45th |
| NE | 850 | $53,840 | 46th |
| TN | 7,440 | $52,920 | 47th |
| OK | 2,280 | $52,820 | 48th |
| MO | 5,010 | $51,340 | 49th |
| AL | 2,360 | $50,450 | 50th |
| SD | 550 | $47,260 | 51st |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 27, 2022