Child, Family, and School Social Workers pay in California
$71,940avg. a year
$34.59 an hour · 60,310 employed
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in California earn an average of $71,940 a year. That is $7,940 (12%) more than the U.S. average of $64,000. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $89,820.
$65,200Median pay
$34.59Average hourly
+23%Avg. pay since 2020
#8Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for child, family, and school social workers by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
12,120 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$89,820
$43.18 an hour
25,840 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$80,220
$38.57 an hour
3280 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$77,630
$37.32 an hour
4830 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$74,910
$36.02 an hour
526,220 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$73,990
$35.57 an hour
6130 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$73,530
$35.35 an hour
7400 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$71,080
$34.17 an hour
8470 jobs
Visalia, CA
$70,330
$33.81 an hour
9450 jobs
Salinas, CA
$70,220
$33.76 an hour
101,160 jobs
Modesto, CA
$69,630
$33.48 an hour
11870 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$68,940
$33.14 an hour
12200 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$68,530
$32.95 an hour
13960 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$68,190
$32.78 an hour
14130 jobs
Napa, CA
$67,310
$32.36 an hour
15720 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$67,020
$32.22 an hour
163,550 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$66,640
$32.04 an hour
173,820 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$66,600
$32.02 an hour
185,810 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$66,150
$31.80 an hour
191,920 jobs
Fresno, CA
$65,820
$31.64 an hour
20400 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$65,800
$31.64 an hour
21290 jobs
Chico, CA
$65,220
$31.36 an hour
22460 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$64,350
$30.94 an hour
23410 jobs
Redding, CA
$60,970
$29.31 an hour
24500 jobs
Merced, CA
$59,850
$28.78 an hour
25220 jobs
El Centro, CA
$57,870
$27.82 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California child, family, and school social workers work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $54k$54k–$60k$60k–$71k$71k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $64,000 | $30.77 |
| California | $71,940 | $34.59 |
| Oregon | $68,400 | $32.89 |
| Nevada | $65,930 | $31.70 |
| Arizona | $52,420 | $25.20 |
Related jobs in California
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors$69,080
- Social and Human Service Assistants$55,100
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors$93,610
- Healthcare Social Workers$93,840
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers$91,050
- Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other$63,160
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do child, family, and school social workers make in California?
The average is $71,940 a year, and the median is $65,200. That is $7,940 (12%) more than the U.S. average of $64,000.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$34.59 an hour on average; the median is $31.35.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($89,820), followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA ($80,220). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is El Centro, CA ($57,870).
How does California rank?
California ranks #8 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 21-1021. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national child, family, and school social workers page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.