Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in Pennsylvania make a median of $50,820 a year, or about $24.43 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.97), which stretches that salary to about $53,512 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,351/month, about 39.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Pennsylvania. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $51K get you in Pennsylvania?
About child, family, and school social workers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Pennsylvania
Pay for child, family, and school social workers in Pennsylvania runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,351/month, which is 39.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for child, family, and school social workerss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pennsylvania
Entry-level child, family, and school social workers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers salary by metro in Pennsylvania
16 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $63K | +24% | 890 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $57K | +12% | 870 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $56K | +10% | 6,850 |
| Lebanon | $53K | +4% | 90 |
| York-Hanover | $53K | +4% | 500 |
| Williamsport | $53K | +4% | 80 |
| Chambersburg | $51K | +1% | 180 |
| Lancaster | $51K | +1% | 740 |
| Reading | $51K | +0% | 570 |
| Pittsburgh | $50K | -2% | 3,120 |
| Gettysburg | $48K | -5% | 140 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre | $46K | -10% | 590 |
| State College | $45K | -11% | 140 |
| Johnstown | $45K | -11% | 210 |
| Erie | $45K | -12% | 490 |
| Altoona | $43K | -16% | 140 |
Showing 1–10 of 16 metros
Compare to other states
Track child, family, and school social workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pennsylvania numbers change.
Related careers in Community & Social
Frequently asked questions
Can a child, family, and school social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pennsylvania?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 39.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,351/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Pennsylvania?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new child, family, and school social workers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,306/month. At HUD’s $1,351/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Pennsylvania?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $51K here vs. $60K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Pennsylvania compare to the national average for child, family, and school social workers?
Pennsylvania pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do child, family, and school social workers make in Pennsylvania?
The median is $50,820 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,430, and experienced child, family, and school social workers can clear $78,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Pennsylvania?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,443/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,351/month, which eats 39.2% 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has a Regional Price Parity of 94.97 (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 $53,512 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.