Healthcare Social Workers Salary
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, healthcare social workers earn $69,180 at the median, or about $33.26 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $71,364 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,338/month, or 29.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $69K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha
Healthcare social workers pay in Milwaukee-Waukesha tracks closely to the national median, $69K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,338/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for healthcare social workers in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $77K | $79K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $63K | $68K |
| Eau Claire | $65K | $70K |
| Green Bay | $67K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level healthcare social workers (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $69K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $40K 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Yes — at the median salary of $69K, rent takes 29.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for healthcare social workers in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new healthcare social workers typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,030/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $69K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for healthcare social workers?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $69K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do healthcare social workers make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $69,180 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,500, and experienced healthcare social workers can clear $90,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $69K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,536/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 29.5% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $71,364 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.