Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in State College, PA make a median of $45,460 a year, or about $21.86 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $67K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.76), that's roughly $46,982 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,406/month, about 44.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in State College?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by State College’s Regional Price Parity (96.76). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About child, family, and school social workers
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What this looks like in State College
Pay for child, family, and school social workers in State College runs about 24% below the U.S. median of $60K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,406/month, which is 45.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.76) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for child, family, and school social workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for child, family, and school social workers in metros near State College, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $56K | $55K |
| Pittsburgh | $50K | $53K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $63K | $64K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $57K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, State College, PA
Entry-level child, family, and school social workers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $67K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Child, Family, and School Social Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $79K | +33% | 5,230 |
| Maryland | $76K | +28% | 4,710 |
| New Jersey | $76K | +28% | 7,360 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | +27% | 10,900 |
| Washington | $74K | +25% | 10,720 |
| District of Columbia | $74K | +24% | 2,430 |
| New Hampshire | $71K | +19% | 1,700 |
| Rhode Island | $70K | +17% | 2,450 |
| Hawaii | $68K | +15% | 1,170 |
| Minnesota | $67K | +13% | 6,540 |
| Vermont | $67K | +13% | 640 |
| California | $65K | +9% | 60,310 |
| New York | $65K | +9% | 30,170 |
| North Dakota | $65K | +8% | 870 |
| Oregon | $64K | +8% | 6,630 |
| Colorado | $64K | +7% | 8,200 |
| Maine | $63K | +6% | 2,000 |
| Illinois | $63K | +6% | 19,860 |
| Alaska | $63K | +5% | 1,260 |
| Virginia | $61K | +3% | 9,410 |
| Nevada | $61K | +3% | 4,030 |
| Idaho | $60K | +0% | 810 |
| North Carolina | $60K | +0% | 13,010 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | -0% | 5,710 |
| Michigan | $59K | -0% | 15,760 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -1% | 8,470 |
| Louisiana | $57K | -5% | 1,110 |
| Montana | $57K | -5% | 1,250 |
| Florida | $57K | -5% | 14,000 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -5% | 710 |
| Tennessee | $56K | -5% | 7,870 |
| New Mexico | $56K | -6% | 2,990 |
| Texas | $56K | -6% | 21,670 |
| Kansas | $54K | -9% | 3,190 |
| Iowa | $52K | -12% | 3,410 |
| West Virginia | $52K | -12% | 2,380 |
| Utah | $52K | -13% | 1,930 |
| South Carolina | $52K | -13% | 5,520 |
| Ohio | $52K | -13% | 16,050 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -14% | 2,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $51K | -15% | 16,200 |
| Indiana | $50K | -15% | 6,690 |
| Arizona | $50K | -16% | 7,560 |
| Missouri | $49K | -19% | 9,620 |
| Delaware | $49K | -19% | 910 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -20% | 4,830 |
| Georgia | $48K | -20% | 7,110 |
| Alabama | $47K | -22% | 4,220 |
| Mississippi | $47K | -22% | 3,310 |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -26% | 6,500 |
| Arkansas | $43K | -27% | 1,150 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track child, family, and school social workers salary changes
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Related careers in Community & Social
Frequently asked questions
Can a child, family, and school social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in State College?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 45.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,406/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 State College?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new child, family, and school social workers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,235/month. At HUD’s $1,406/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 State College?
Local pay runs 24% below the national median — $45K here vs. $60K nationally.
How does State College compare to the national average for child, family, and school social workers?
State College pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s -24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.76), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — below the national median.
How much do child, family, and school social workers make in State College, PA?
The median is $45,460 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,250, and experienced child, family, and school social workers can clear $67,130. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in State College?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,097/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,406/month, which eats 45.4% 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 State College?
State College has a Regional Price Parity of 96.76 (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 $46,982 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.