New York City social worker salary, 2025
New York City is one government for all five boroughs. Its social workers work for several agencies: Child Protective Specialists for the Administration for Children's Services, Caseworkers mostly for the Human Resources Administration and the Department of Homeless Services, and School Social Workers for the Department of Education.1 7,575 people worked as social workers for New York City in fiscal year 2025. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $93,755, overtime included.
What is the average social worker salary at New York City?
Official pay range, children's social workers2
$55,437 to $121,290
from the lowest entry salary to the top of the highest title for children's social workers, the largest group
The largest group of New York City's social workers (2,958 of 7,575) hold the title Child Protective Specialist, with an official range of $58,984 to $96,852. Those who worked the full year earned an average of $80,086, within the range.
- Social workers
- 7,575
- 5,263 of them worked the full year
- Starting salary
- $55,437
- bottom of the Caseworker range
- Median total pay
- $89,037
- the middle social worker: half earned more, half less
- Overtime
- $3,890
- average per full-year social worker
What does each social worker title at New York City pay?
Each bar is the official range for one title, lowest first. The dot marks the average total pay of full-year staff in that title, where at least 5 people stand behind it.12 Official ranges are the city's current ones (2026), so they can be a little higher than the rates paid in fiscal year 2025. Hourly rates are shown as a yearly amount at the title's standard hours.
Children's social workers
- Caseworker$61,240
- Child Protective Specialist$80,086
- Child Protective Specialist Supervisor$113,344
School social workers
- School Social Worker$112,890
General social workers
- Caseworker$65,173
- Social Worker$72,311
Mental health social workers
- Social Worker$74,939
official range average total pay, full year. "Fewer than 5" means too few full-year people in that title to show.
Questions about social worker pay at New York City
What is the average social worker salary at New York City?
Social workers at New York City who worked the full year earned an average of $93,755 in 2025, overtime included. The middle social worker earned $89,037: half earned more, half less. The official pay range across its social worker titles runs from $55,437 to $121,290.
How much overtime do social workers at New York City earn?
Full-year social workers were paid an average of $3,890 in overtime in 2025. The middle one was paid $0: a few people with a lot of overtime pull the average up.
Sources for the New York City figures
Every person who held a social worker position at New York City at any point in fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025) counts toward the headcount. Pay figures use only people still employed at the end of June 2025 who worked at least 90% of a full year's regular hours at their title's standard week; for school staff, whose hours aren't recorded, regular pay of at least 90% of their own annual salary. Total pay is gross wages before tax, including overtime, lump sums and other pay. Averages lead; the median total pay 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.
- City of New York, Citywide Payroll Data (Fiscal Year): titles, base salaries, regular pay, overtime and other pay of every city employee, fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 to June 2025).
- City of New York, Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Civil Service Titles: official minimum and maximum pay per title, current list (2026).