Healthcare Social Workers Salary
In Kalamazoo-Portage, MI, healthcare social workers earn $74,940 at the median, or about $36.03 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.84), which stretches that salary to about $79,017 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,162/month, or 23.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $75K get you in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kalamazoo-Portage’s Regional Price Parity (94.84). 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 Kalamazoo-Portage
Healthcare social workers pay in Kalamazoo-Portage tracks closely to the national median, $75K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 10% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,162/month, 24.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.84 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for healthcare social workers in metros near Kalamazoo-Portage, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $74K | $73K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $65K | $68K |
| Ann Arbor | $75K | $74K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $64K | $67K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kalamazoo-Portage, MI
Entry-level healthcare social workers (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $51K 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 Kalamazoo-Portage?
Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 24.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,162/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for healthcare social workers in Kalamazoo-Portage?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new healthcare social workers typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,006/month. At HUD’s $1,162/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Kalamazoo-Portage?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $75K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Kalamazoo-Portage compare to the national average for healthcare social workers?
Kalamazoo-Portage pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.84), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do healthcare social workers make in Kalamazoo-Portage, MI?
The median is $74,940 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,100, and experienced healthcare social workers can clear $101,310. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Kalamazoo-Portage?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,827/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,162/month, which eats 24.1% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a healthcare social workers salary go in Kalamazoo-Portage?
Kalamazoo-Portage has a Regional Price Parity of 94.84 (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 $79,017 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.