Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$45,920
To
$51,700
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$71,740
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$51,700
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$101,320
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$76,750
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected estimate
Intermediate range for Social Worker in Chicago
$51,700 to $101,320
This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$71,740
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$51,700
To
$101,320
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$101,320
To
$114,690
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare social worker offers in Chicago against $45,920 to $51,700.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare social worker offers in Chicago against $51,700 to $101,320.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare social worker offers in Chicago against $101,320 to $114,690.
How Chicago Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Chicago is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Social Workers, All Other, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$99,720
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$98,810
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$94,950
Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$94,800
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$90,000
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$86,860
Atlanta
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$82,570
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$78,470
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$76,750
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$73,250
How Social Worker Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares social worker pay in Chicago with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$192,460
Branch Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
CFO
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Controller
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Finance Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$187,420
Social Worker
Social Workers, All Other, SOC 21-1029
$76,750
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for social workers in Chicago is $71,740. The middle market range runs from $51,700 at the 25th percentile to $101,320 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $45,920to $114,690.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $45,920 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $51,700 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $71,740 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $101,320 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $114,690 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Social Worker to BLS occupation Social Workers, All Other, SOC 21-1029. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Social Workers, All Other, SOC 21-1029, as the public wage source for Social Worker.
- BLS area
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Employment estimate
- 1,190
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median social worker salary in Chicago?
The median annual salary for social workers in Chicago is $71,740, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Social Workers, All Other.
How much can fresher social worker candidates expect in Chicago?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For social workers in Chicago, that range is $45,920 to $51,700. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate social worker salary range in Chicago?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For social workers in Chicago, that range is $51,700 to $101,320.
What do senior social worker candidates earn in Chicago?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For social workers in Chicago, that range is $101,320 to $114,690.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Social Workers, All Other instead of only Social Worker?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Social Worker to Social Workers, All Other, SOC 21-1029, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Chicago mean city limits or a metro area?
Chicago is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 14 Apr 2026|Last updated: 21 Jun 2026
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