Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV make a median of $75,550 a year, or about $36.32 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $112K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.88), so that salary is closer to $69,388 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,246/month, about 45.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $76K get you in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria’s Regional Price Parity (108.88). 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria sits well above the national pay line for child, family, and school social workers, local pay runs about 27% 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 $2,246/month, which is 46.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.88), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for child, family, and school social workers in metros near Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $75K | $72K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $62K | $64K |
| Richmond | $61K | $62K |
| Roanoke | $49K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Entry-level child, family, and school social workers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $112K or more, a $62K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a child, family, and school social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 46.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,246/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new child, family, and school social workers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,017/month. At HUD’s $2,246/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Local pay is 27% above the national median — $76K here vs. $60K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare to the national average for child, family, and school social workers?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $60K — that’s +27%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do child, family, and school social workers make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The median is $75,550 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,280, and experienced child, family, and school social workers can clear $112,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,830/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,246/month, which eats 46.5% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has a Regional Price Parity of 108.88 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median child, family, and school social workers salary is worth about $69,388 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.