High paying social service jobs in America

Every social service occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in America. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single social service job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Find social service jobs

OccupationMedian, America · Employed

1Social Workers, All Other$71,900
Bachelor's degree
$43,620 – $115,61062,930
2Healthcare Social Workers$67,880
Master's degree
$46,220 – $100,360187,630
3Marriage and Family Therapists$66,940
Master's degree
$44,650 – $123,73066,740
4Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists$66,270
Bachelor's degree
$46,840 – $107,79089,390
5Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$64,330
Master's degree
$45,020 – $104,770353,310
6Health Education Specialists$64,070
Bachelor's degree
$42,990 – $118,20065,690
7Clergy$60,810
Bachelor's degree
$37,860 – $98,89057,200
8Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers$60,280
Master's degree
$39,740 – $104,170132,810
9Child, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550
Bachelor's degree
$42,280 – $95,530392,550
10Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors$59,350
Master's degree
$38,940 – $97,590491,930
11Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other$56,730
Bachelor's degree
$37,310 – $84,210107,730
12Community Health Workers$51,850
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,810 – $77,18061,660
13Rehabilitation Counselors$46,850
Master's degree
$35,060 – $77,17094,740
14Social and Human Service Assistants$45,930
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,200 – $63,290437,860

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianAmerica	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Social Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$71,900	$43,620 – $115,610	62,930
2	Healthcare Social WorkersMaster's degree	$67,880	$46,220 – $100,360	187,630
3	Marriage and Family TherapistsMaster's degree	$66,940	$44,650 – $123,730	66,740
4	Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$66,270	$46,840 – $107,790	89,390
5	Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and AdvisorsMaster's degree	$64,330	$45,020 – $104,770	353,310
6	Health Education SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$64,070	$42,990 – $118,200	65,690
7	ClergyBachelor's degree	$60,810	$37,860 – $98,890	57,200
8	Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social WorkersMaster's degree	$60,280	$39,740 – $104,170	132,810
9	Child, Family, and School Social WorkersBachelor's degree	$59,550	$42,280 – $95,530	392,550
10	Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health CounselorsMaster's degree	$59,350	$38,940 – $97,590	491,930
11	Community and Social Service Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$56,730	$37,310 – $84,210	107,730
12	Community Health WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$51,850	$38,810 – $77,180	61,660
13	Rehabilitation CounselorsMaster's degree	$46,850	$35,060 – $77,170	94,740
14	Social and Human Service AssistantsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,930	$34,200 – $63,290	437,860

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in America. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for America

By field

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in America to rank honestly.

High paying social service jobs in America

More for America

By field

Without a degree

High paying social service jobs in each state