Santa Clara County social worker salary, 2025

1,035 people worked as social workers for Santa Clara County in 2025. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $145,566, overtime included.

What is the average social worker salary at Santa Clara County?

Official pay range, general social workers1

$87,747 to $146,811

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

$145,566

average base pay $121,248

The largest group of Santa Clara County's social workers (288 of 1,035) hold the title Social Worker III, with an official range of $106,621 to $129,010. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $154,738, $25,728 above the top of the range.

Social workers
1,035
779 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$87,747
bottom of the Social Worker I range
Median take-home
$137,904
the middle social worker: half took home more, half less
Average pay rank
2nd
of 63 California employers

What does each social worker title at Santa Clara 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 I$87,747 to $106,034 · 117 people
    $122,590
  2. Social Worker I - U$87,747 to $106,034 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  3. Social Worker II$96,626 to $116,956 · 261 people
    $131,772
  4. Social Worker III$106,621 to $129,010 · 288 people
    $154,738
  5. Social Services Program Control Supervisor$119,571 to $145,396 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  6. Social Work Supervisor$121,233 to $146,811 · 114 people
    $187,685
  7. Social Work Training Specialist$121,233 to $146,811 · 8 people
    $140,656

Mental health social workers

  1. Psychiatric Social Worker I$101,130 to $122,425 · 45 people
    $125,776
  2. Psychiatric Social Worker II$113,416 to $137,218 · 82 people
    $135,307

Medical social workers

  1. Medical Social Worker I$103,960 to $125,846 · 23 people
    $117,514
  2. Medical Social Worker II$114,966 to $139,108 · 92 people
    $140,480

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

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

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

Santa Clara County pays more than all of its neighbors: Alameda, Merced, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Cruz and Stanislaus counties.

Where does Santa Clara County rank among California employers?

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

All 63 California employers

Santa Clara County ranks 2nd of 63, above the middle employer.

Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County's social workers
Employer pension contribution
$11,037
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$27,227
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about social worker pay at Santa Clara County

What is the average social worker salary at Santa Clara County?

Social workers at Santa Clara County who worked the full year took home an average of $145,566 in 2025, overtime included. The middle social worker took home $137,904: half took home more, half less. The official pay range across its social worker titles runs from $87,747 to $146,811.

How much overtime do social workers at Santa Clara County earn?

Full-year social workers were paid an average of $15,295 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $5,589: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do social workers at Santa Clara County get?

The most common pension formula among Santa Clara County's social workers is 2% at 62, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $11,037 a year into the pension plan.

More public pay in Santa Clara County

Sources for the Santa Clara County figures

Every person who held a social worker position at Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County.

How we read the data