Healthcare Social Workers Salary
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, healthcare social workers earn $85,790 at the median, or about $41.24 an hour. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $115K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $81,379 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 35.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $86K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for healthcare social workers, local pay runs about 26% higher than the U.S. median of $68K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 37.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for healthcare social workers in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salem | $80K | $77K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $83K | $82K |
| Medford | $81K | $79K |
| Bend | $79K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level healthcare social workers (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $86K. Top earners bring in $115K or more, a $54K 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $86K, rent takes 37.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new healthcare social workers typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,695/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 26% above the national median — $86K here vs. $68K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for healthcare social workers?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $86K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s +26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do healthcare social workers make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $85,790 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,580, and experienced healthcare social workers can clear $115,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $86K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,147/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 37.3% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 healthcare social workers salary is worth about $81,379 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.