Merced County social worker salary, 2025

210 people worked as social workers for Merced County in 2025. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $78,222, overtime included.

What is the average social worker salary at Merced County?

Official pay range1

$48,859 to $102,336

from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest social worker title

Average take-home, full-year social workers1

$78,222

average base pay $68,400

The largest group of Merced County's social workers (46 of 210) hold the title Social Worker II, with an official range of $53,893 to $65,562. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $60,283, within the range.

Social workers
210
99 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$48,859
bottom of the Social Worker I range
Median take-home
$74,549
the middle social worker: half took home more, half less
Average pay rank
52nd
of 63 California employers

What does each social worker title at Merced County pay?

Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average take-home of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.1

  1. Social Worker I$48,859 to $59,446 · 30 people
    fewer than 5
  2. Social Worker II$53,893 to $65,562 · 46 people
    $60,283
  3. Public Health Social Worker$60,923 to $74,110 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Social Worker III$60,923 to $74,110 · 41 people
    $82,234
  5. Family Services Supervisor$65,250 to $79,394 · 38 people
    $72,880
  6. Social Worker IV-A$67,517 to $82,160 · 10 people
    fewer than 5
  7. Supervising Social Worker I$68,869 to $83,782 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  8. Social Worker IV-B$74,485 to $90,584 · 17 people
    $112,709
  9. Supervising Social Worker II$84,198 to $102,336 · 20 people
    $100,818
  10. Extra Help Social Worker IV-B(5)$90,584 to $90,584 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5

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

Does Merced County pay social workers more than the counties next door?

Average take-home of full-year social workers: Merced County next to its neighboring counties and the whole state.1

5 of Merced County's 6 neighboring counties pay more.

Where does Merced County rank among California employers?

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

All 63 California employers

Merced County ranks 52nd of 63, below the middle employer.

Merced County
$60k$80k$100k$120k$140k

Middle employer: $90,154

Each bar counts the employers whose average take-home falls in a $5,000 band. The dashed line marks the middle employer.

Pension and health cover at Merced County

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

Pension formula
3% at 60
the most common formula among Merced County's social workers
Employer pension contribution
$31,134
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$17,180
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about social worker pay at Merced County

What is the average social worker salary at Merced County?

Social workers at Merced County who worked the full year took home an average of $78,222 in 2025, overtime included. The middle social worker took home $74,549: half took home more, half less. The official pay range across its social worker titles runs from $48,859 to $102,336.

How much overtime do social workers at Merced County earn?

Full-year social workers were paid an average of $5,502 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $1,090: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do social workers at Merced County get?

The most common pension formula among Merced County's social workers is 3% at 60, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $31,134 a year into the pension plan.

More public pay in Merced County

Sources for the Merced County figures

Every person who held a social worker position at Merced 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. Take-home is total wages, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median take-home is the middle person's, with half above and half below, and is less pulled by a few people with a lot of overtime. 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 Merced County.

How we read the data