Monterey County social worker salary, 2025

411 people worked as social workers for Monterey County in 2025. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $116,898.

What is the average social worker salary at Monterey County?

Official pay range, general social workers1

$68,848 to $139,364

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

Average take-home, full-year social workers1

$116,898

average base pay $107,187

The largest group of Monterey County's social workers (155 of 411) hold the title Social Worker III, with an official range of $76,078 to $103,902. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $102,805, within the range.

Social workers
411
340 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$68,848
bottom of the Social Worker II range
Median take-home
$111,544
the middle social worker: half took home more, half less
Average pay rank
12th
of 63 California employers

What does each social worker title at Monterey 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

General social workers

  1. Social Worker II$68,848 to $94,035 · 7 people
    $86,194
  2. Social Worker III$76,078 to $103,902 · 155 people
    $102,805
  3. Social Worker IV$84,042 to $114,787 · 6 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Social Work Supervisor I$87,855 to $119,991 · 8 people
    $120,843
  5. Social Worker V$90,582 to $123,716 · 32 people
    $131,571
  6. Social Work Supervisor II$102,039 to $139,364 · 21 people
    $173,538

Mental health social workers

  1. Psychiatric Social Worker I$92,015 to $125,672 · 85 people
    $111,061
  2. Psychiatric Social Worker II$97,215 to $132,775 · 67 people
    $128,560
  3. Senior Psychiatric Social Worker$100,160 to $136,800 · 20 people
    $138,098

Medical social workers

  1. Social Worker V$90,582 to $123,716 · 8 people
    $122,599
  2. Social Work Supervisor II$102,039 to $139,364 · 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 Monterey County pay social workers more than the counties next door?

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

Monterey County pays more than all of its neighbors: Fresno, Kings, San Benito, San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties.

Where does Monterey County rank among California employers?

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

All 63 California employers

Monterey County ranks 12th of 63, above the middle employer.

Monterey 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 Monterey County

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

Pension formula
2% at 62
the most common formula among Monterey County's social workers
Employer pension contribution
$9,886
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$22,762
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about social worker pay at Monterey County

What is the average social worker salary at Monterey County?

Social workers at Monterey County who worked the full year took home an average of $116,898 in 2025. The middle social worker took home $111,544: half took home more, half less. The official pay range across its social worker titles runs from $68,848 to $139,364.

How much overtime do social workers at Monterey County earn?

Full-year social workers were paid an average of $632 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 Monterey County get?

The most common pension formula among Monterey County's social workers is 2% at 62, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $9,886 a year into the pension plan.

More public pay in Monterey County

Sources for the Monterey County figures

Every person who held a social worker position at Monterey 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 Monterey County.

How we read the data