Santa Cruz County social worker salary, 2025

138 people worked as social workers for Santa Cruz County in 2025. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $109,828, overtime included.

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

Official pay range1

$65,000 to $132,454

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

Average take-home, full-year social workers1

$109,828

average base pay $101,392

The largest group of Santa Cruz County's social workers (60 of 138) hold the title Senior Social Worker Fcs/Aps, with an official range of $93,350 to $118,123. Those who worked the full year took home an average of $115,272, within the range.

Social workers
138
109 of them worked the full year
Starting salary
$65,000
bottom of the Social Worker I range
Median take-home
$105,945
the middle social worker: half took home more, half less
Average pay rank
16th
of 63 California employers

What does each social worker title at Santa Cruz 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$65,000 to $82,347 · 6 people
    $80,905
  2. Social Worker II$77,938 to $98,530 · 46 people
    $91,938
  3. Senior Social Worker$88,858 to $112,507 · fewer than 5 people
    fewer than 5
  4. Social Work Supervisor I$88,858 to $112,507 · 6 people
    fewer than 5
  5. Senior Social Worker Fcs/Aps$93,350 to $118,123 · 60 people
    $115,272
  6. Social Work Supervisor II Fcs/Aps$104,749 to $132,454 · 17 people
    $141,803

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

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

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

3 of Santa Cruz County's 4 neighboring counties pay more.

Where does Santa Cruz 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 Cruz County ranks 16th of 63, above the middle employer.

Santa Cruz 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 Cruz 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 Cruz County's social workers
Employer pension contribution
$9,528
average per year
Health, dental and vision
$21,180
average paid by the employer per year

Questions about social worker pay at Santa Cruz County

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

Social workers at Santa Cruz County who worked the full year took home an average of $109,828 in 2025, overtime included. The middle social worker took home $105,945: half took home more, half less. The official pay range across its social worker titles runs from $65,000 to $132,454.

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

Full-year social workers were paid an average of $4,793 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $2,082: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.

What pension do social workers at Santa Cruz County get?

The most common pension formula among Santa Cruz County's social workers is 2% at 62, as reported by the county. The employer paid an average of $9,528 a year into the pension plan.

More public pay in Santa Cruz County

Sources for the Santa Cruz County figures

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

How we read the data