Healthcare Social Workers Salary
In Elmira, NY, healthcare social workers earn $48,970 at the median, or about $23.54 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.4), which stretches that salary to about $51,875 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,283/month, about 37.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Elmira?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Elmira’s Regional Price Parity (94.4). 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 healthcare social workers
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What this looks like in Elmira
Pay for healthcare social workers in Elmira runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,283/month, which is 39.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.4 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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 healthcare social workerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for healthcare social workers in metros near Elmira, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $79K | $70K |
| Rochester | $62K | $63K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $65K | $68K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $67K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Elmira, NY
Entry-level healthcare social workers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $25K spread from bottom to top.
Healthcare Social Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Healthcare Social Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $94K | +39% | 420 |
| California | $90K | +32% | 17,690 |
| Hawaii | $85K | +26% | 660 |
| Oregon | $84K | +24% | 2,320 |
| New Jersey | $83K | +22% | 4,310 |
| Vermont | $81K | +20% | 250 |
| Connecticut | $80K | +18% | 1,650 |
| Washington | $79K | +16% | 5,180 |
| Nevada | $78K | +16% | 1,160 |
| New Hampshire | $78K | +15% | 590 |
| Utah | $78K | +15% | 1,750 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | +13% | 7,220 |
| Maryland | $76K | +13% | 4,750 |
| Rhode Island | $75K | +11% | 630 |
| Idaho | $75K | +10% | 750 |
| Minnesota | $74K | +9% | 2,430 |
| New York | $73K | +8% | 20,440 |
| Maine | $72K | +5% | 790 |
| Texas | $70K | +3% | 10,880 |
| Michigan | $68K | -0% | 4,860 |
| Wisconsin | $67K | -1% | 3,770 |
| Virginia | $67K | -2% | 3,070 |
| New Mexico | $66K | -3% | 1,200 |
| Florida | $65K | -5% | 10,520 |
| Delaware | $65K | -5% | 780 |
| Indiana | $65K | -5% | 3,890 |
| Kansas | $64K | -5% | 1,360 |
| Illinois | $64K | -5% | 4,910 |
| Kentucky | $64K | -6% | 1,980 |
| Arizona | $64K | -6% | 3,100 |
| Ohio | $64K | -6% | 8,930 |
| Colorado | $63K | -6% | 3,670 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -7% | 5,120 |
| Iowa | $63K | -7% | 1,550 |
| North Dakota | $63K | -7% | 330 |
| Georgia | $62K | -8% | 6,970 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -8% | 980 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -8% | 180 |
| Mississippi | $62K | -8% | 1,890 |
| Alaska | $62K | -9% | 480 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | -9% | 9,630 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -10% | 5,970 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -10% | 1,970 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -10% | 3,100 |
| West Virginia | $60K | -11% | 1,100 |
| Alabama | $60K | -12% | 2,850 |
| Missouri | $60K | -12% | 4,430 |
| South Dakota | $58K | -15% | 790 |
| Montana | $57K | -16% | 840 |
| Oklahoma | $56K | -17% | 2,310 |
| Arkansas | $56K | -18% | 1,250 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track healthcare social workers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a healthcare social worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Elmira?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 39.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,283/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 healthcare social workers in Elmira?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new healthcare social workers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,761/month. At HUD’s $1,283/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is healthcare social worker a high-paying job in Elmira?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $49K here vs. $68K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Elmira compare to the national average for healthcare social workers?
Elmira pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.4), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do healthcare social workers make in Elmira, NY?
The median is $48,970 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,010, and experienced healthcare social workers can clear $71,430. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Elmira?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,275/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,283/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 healthcare social workers salary go in Elmira?
Elmira has a Regional Price Parity of 94.4 (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 healthcare social workers salary is worth about $51,875 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do healthcare 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.