Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in New Jersey make a median of $76,280 a year, or about $36.67 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 99.34), that's roughly $76,787 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,067/month, about 41.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across New Jersey. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $76K get you in New Jersey?
About child, family, and school social workers
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What this looks like in New Jersey
New Jersey sits well above the national pay line for child, family, and school social workers, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,067/month, which is 41.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 99.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Jersey
Entry-level child, family, and school social workers (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers salary by metro in New Jersey
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Princeton | $73K | -5% | 420 |
| Vineland | $69K | -10% | 140 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $63K | -17% | 320 |
Compare to other states
Track child, family, and school social workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when New Jersey numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a child, family, and school social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Jersey?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 41.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,067/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for child, family, and school social workers in New Jersey?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new child, family, and school social workers typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,870/month. At HUD’s $2,067/month FMR, rent would take 72% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is child, family, and school social worker a high-paying job in New Jersey?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $76K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does New Jersey compare to the national average for child, family, and school social workers?
New Jersey pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 99.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $77K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do child, family, and school social workers make in New Jersey?
The median is $76,280 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,830, and experienced child, family, and school social workers can clear $109,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in New Jersey?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,943/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,067/month, which eats 41.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a child, family, and school social workers salary go in New Jersey?
New Jersey has a Regional Price Parity of 99.34 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median child, family, and school social workers salary is worth about $76,787 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do child, family, and school social workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.