Kern County social worker salary, 2025
625 people worked as social workers for Kern County in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $85,504, overtime included.
What is the average social worker salary at Kern County?
Official pay range1
$53,408 to $101,495
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest social worker title
Based on the 445 of 625 social workers who worked the full year.
The largest group of Kern County's social workers (298 of 625) hold the title Social Service Worker III, with an official salary of $77,920. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $81,273, $3,353 above the top of the range.
- Median total pay
- $82,281
- the middle social worker: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $4,231
- average per full-year social worker
- Starting salary
- Not reported
- no official range reported
- Average pay rank
- 41st
- of 63 California employers
What does each social worker title at Kern County pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1
- Social Service Worker I$61,759
- Social Service Worker II$67,834
- Social Service Worker IVFewer than 5
- Social Service Worker III$81,273
- Social Service Worker V$99,602
- Social Service Supervisor I$100,647
- Social Service Supervisor II$119,977
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Does Kern County pay social workers more than other employers in Kern County?
Average total pay of full-year social workers: Kern County next to every employer in the county together, and the whole state.1
- Kern County$85,504
- All employers in Kern County$85,450
- All employers in California$105,739
Full-year social workers at Kern County earned $54 more than the Kern County average and $20,235 less than the California average.
Average social worker pay in Kern County compared to nearby counties
Average total pay of full-year social workers across all employers in each county that borders Kern County, and how much more or less it pays.1
- Los Angeles County$112,879 average, 3 employers$27,429 more than Kern County
- Ventura County$100,216 average, 1 employer$14,766 more than Kern County
- Inyo County$99,540 average, 1 employer$14,090 more than Kern County
- San Luis Obispo County$96,583 average, 1 employer$11,133 more than Kern County
- Santa Barbara County$95,019 average, 2 employers$9,569 more than Kern County
- San Bernardino County$90,240 average, 1 employer$4,790 more than Kern County
- Kings County$88,405 average, 1 employer$2,955 more than Kern County
- Tulare County$83,114 average, 3 employers$2,336 less than Kern County
Where does Kern County rank among California employers?
Every employer with at least 5 full-year social workers, by average total pay.1
All 63 California employers
Kern County ranks 41st of 63, below the middle employer.
Middle employer: $90,154
Each bar counts the employers whose average total pay falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.
Pension and health cover at Kern County
As reported by the county. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year social worker, on top of wages.1
- Pension formula
- 1.62% at 65
- the most common formula among Kern County's social workers
- Employer pension contribution
- $31,773
- average per year
- Health, dental and vision
- $12,644
- average paid by the employer per year
Questions about social worker pay at Kern County
What is the average social worker salary at Kern County?
Social workers at Kern County who worked the full year earned an average of $85,504 in 2025, overtime included. The middle social worker earned $82,281: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its social worker titles runs from $53,408 to $101,495.
How much overtime do social workers at Kern County earn?
Full-year social workers were paid an average of $4,231 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $1,059: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
What pension do social workers at Kern County get?
The most common pension formula among Kern County's social workers is 1.62% at 65, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $31,773 a year into the pension plan.
More salaries in Kern County
- Kern County Hospital Authority$81,872 average total pay
- Highest social worker salaries in CaliforniaThe best-paying employers, ranked
- 911 dispatcher salaries at Kern County$100,010 average total pay
- Water operator salaries at Kern County$71,408 average total pay
- Firefighter salaries at Kern County$117,743 average total pay
- Correctional officer salaries at Kern County$115,670 average total pay
- Nurse salaries at Kern County$143,230 average total pay
- Librarian salaries at Kern CountyPay by title
- Paramedic and EMT salaries at Kern County$87,780 average total pay
- Teacher salaries in Kern CountyEvery school district's salary schedule
Sources for the Kern County figures
Every person who held a social worker position at Kern County at any point in 2025 counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people who worked roughly the full year: those whose regular pay reached at least 90% of the bottom of their official range. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with very high pay. Every figure covers at least 5 people.
- State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by Kern County.