San Francisco social worker salary, 2025

San Francisco is a city in San Francisco County. 632 people worked as social workers for San Francisco in 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $129,691, overtime included.

What is the average social worker salary at San Francisco?

Official pay range, general social workers1

$74,984 to $129,480

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for general social workers, the largest group

Average total pay, full-year social workers1

$129,691

average base pay $123,047

Based on the 513 of 632 social workers who worked the full year.

The largest group of San Francisco's social workers (197 of 632) hold the title Protective Services Worker, with an official range of $111,436 to $142,194. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $146,012, $3,818 above the top of the range.

Median total pay
$124,439
the middle social worker: half earned more, half less
Overtime
$4,149
average per full-year social worker
Starting salary
$74,984
bottom of the Hsa Social Worker range
Average pay rank
4th
of 63 California employers

What does each social worker title at San Francisco 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

General social workers

  1. Hsa Social Worker$74,984 to $115,258 · 175 people
    $106,735
  2. Social Worker$82,706 to $100,516 · 6 people
    $94,041
  3. Social Work Specialist$101,998 to $123,968 · 80 people
    $120,115
  4. Social Work Supervisor$106,548 to $129,480 · 32 people
    $126,392

Children's social workers

  1. Social Work Specialist$101,998 to $123,968 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  2. Social Work Supervisor$106,548 to $129,480 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  3. Protective Services Worker$111,436 to $142,194 · 197 people
    $146,012
  4. Protective Services Supervisor$125,216 to $159,874 · 42 people
    $184,586

Medical social workers

  1. Medical Social Worker$111,436 to $135,408 · 87 people
    $129,235
  2. Senior Medical Social Worker$116,350 to $141,336 · fewer than 5 people
    Fewer than 5
  3. Medical Social Work Supervisor$124,514 to $151,346 · 7 people
    $150,806

official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.

Does San Francisco pay social workers more than other California employers?

Average total pay of full-year social workers: San Francisco next to every California employer together.1

Full-year social workers at San Francisco earned $23,952 more than the California average.

Average social worker pay in San Francisco County compared to nearby counties

Average total pay of full-year social workers across all employers in each county that borders San Francisco County, and how much more or less it pays.1

San Francisco County Shades match the state map.

Where does San Francisco rank among California employers?

Every employer with at least 5 full-year social workers, by average total pay.1

All 63 California employers

San Francisco ranks 4th of 63, above the middle employer.

San Francisco
$60k$80k$100k$120k$140k

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 San Francisco

As reported by the city. Contributions are what the employer paid per full-year social worker, on top of wages.1

Pension formula
2.3% at 65
the most common formula among San Francisco's social workers
Employer pension contribution
$18,237
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$19,129
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about social worker pay at San Francisco

What is the average social worker salary at San Francisco?

Social workers at San Francisco who worked the full year earned an average of $129,691 in 2025, overtime included. The middle social worker earned $124,439: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its social worker titles runs from $74,984 to $129,480.

How much overtime do social workers at San Francisco earn?

Full-year social workers were paid an average of $4,149 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $0: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do social workers at San Francisco get?

The most common pension formula among San Francisco's social workers is 2.3% at 65, as reported by the city. The employer paid an average of $18,237 a year into the pension plan.

More public salaries at San Francisco

Sources for the San Francisco figures

Every person who held a social worker position at San Francisco 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.

  1. State Controller's Office, Government Compensation in California, 2025: positions, official pay ranges, wages, pension formula and employer contributions as reported by San Francisco.

How we read the data