Social Work: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 44.07. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,527 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 91 | 548 | $38,578 | $43,190 | $21,612 5 programs |
| Associate's degree | 197 | 2,154 | $34,827 | $39,409 | $13,483 31 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 640 | 18,657 | $41,160 | $51,790 | $24,994 389 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 14 | 0 | $56,875 | $59,439 | $25,119 2 programs |
| Master's degree | 391 | 34,602 | $58,029 | $65,123 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 97 | 633 | $90,482 | $98,285 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 17 | 371 | $59,396 | $64,950 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 80 | 1,211 | $53,874 | $69,362 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 46 graduates measured | $40,053 | Data unavailable | $21,612 |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis IN · Public · 28 graduates measured | $39,909 | $54,193 | $15,380 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Gateway Community College · Public · 25 graduates measured | $45,793 | Data unavailable | $10,062 |
| Hudson County Community College NJ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $41,591 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Connecticut State Community College CT · Public · 22 graduates measured | $40,963 | $42,593 | $9,239 |
| Stark State College OH · Public · 20 graduates measured | $36,445 | $35,009 | $20,759 |
| Austin Community College District TX · Public · 27 graduates measured | $36,252 | $50,662 | $21,725 |
| Dallas College TX · Public · 17 graduates measured | $35,712 | Data unavailable | $22,565 |
| Camden County College NJ · Public · 16 graduates measured | $32,863 | $36,916 | $15,750 |
| Georgia Military College GA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $31,297 | Data unavailable | $17,761 |
| Texas Southmost College TX · Public · 37 graduates measured | $30,716 | $44,990 | $8,619 |
| South Texas College TX · Public · 46 graduates measured | $27,540 | $35,379 | $6,000 |
| Tyler Junior College TX · Public · 19 graduates measured | $27,165 | $34,457 | $13,483 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-San Bernardino CA · Public · 33 graduates measured | $59,991 | $69,201 | $13,062 |
| College of Staten Island CUNY NY · Public · 20 graduates measured | $54,790 | $61,558 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts Global CA · Public · 58 graduates measured | $54,047 | $47,441 | $31,062 |
| University of the District of Columbia DC · Public · 19 graduates measured | $53,398 | $65,986 | $46,870 |
| Viterbo University WI · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $51,693 | $57,159 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 92 graduates measured | $51,615 | $67,393 | $9,543 |
| Southwest Minnesota State University MN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $51,003 | $45,467 | $26,230 |
| Syracuse University NY · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $50,649 | $60,920 | $27,000 |
| University of North Dakota ND · Public · 84 graduates measured | $50,638 | $56,001 | $30,500 |
| Metropolitan State University MN · Public · 79 graduates measured | $49,535 | $60,755 | $36,626 |
| Concordia College at Moorhead MN · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $49,276 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| St Olaf College MN · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $49,197 | $50,611 | $27,000 |
| Bethel University MN · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $49,061 | $54,448 | $21,500 |
| George Fox University OR · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $48,756 | $62,201 | $20,246 |
| Plymouth State University NH · Public · 22 graduates measured | $48,656 | $52,587 | $26,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion IN · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $71,306 | Data unavailable | $25,238 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco State University CA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $87,992 | $94,452 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Monterey Bay CA · Public · 63 graduates measured | $78,255 | $95,950 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-East Bay CA · Public · 107 graduates measured | $77,471 | $96,198 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Northridge CA · Public · 176 graduates measured | $76,529 | $81,505 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Sacramento CA · Public · 159 graduates measured | $76,257 | $84,100 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 74 graduates measured | $75,708 | $80,905 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Bakersfield CA · Public · 77 graduates measured | $75,184 | $86,527 | Data unavailable |
| University of Alaska Anchorage AK · Public · 16 graduates measured | $74,800 | $72,105 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 418 graduates measured | $73,982 | $82,395 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Fullerton CA · Public · 176 graduates measured | $73,879 | $81,397 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Los Angeles CA · Public · 202 graduates measured | $73,466 | $78,135 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Dominguez Hills CA · Public · 159 graduates measured | $73,337 | $84,628 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA · Public · 146 graduates measured | $72,541 | $85,426 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts Global CA · Public · 183 graduates measured | $72,501 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Stanislaus CA · Public · 151 graduates measured | $72,437 | $84,837 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Connecticut State University CT · Public · 19 graduates measured | $111,490 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $111,147 | $130,490 | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 19 graduates measured | $104,472 | $105,646 | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 221 graduates measured | $97,658 | $113,125 | Data unavailable |
| University of St Thomas MN · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $93,790 | $84,830 | Data unavailable |
| Capella University MN · Private, for-profit · 128 graduates measured | $87,147 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Walden University MN · Private, for-profit · 72 graduates measured | $82,655 | $99,933 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 28 graduates measured | $81,955 | $101,907 | Data unavailable |
| Aurora University IL · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $74,621 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky KY · Public · 69 graduates measured | $90,517 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 110 graduates measured | $75,613 | $90,782 | Data unavailable |
| The Catholic University of America DC · Private, nonprofit · 165 graduates measured | $62,805 | $68,031 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 288 graduates measured | $53,435 | $59,122 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora University IL · Private, nonprofit · 73 graduates measured | $57,402 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Madonna University MI · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $55,683 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Western New Mexico University NM · Public · 45 graduates measured | $54,704 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Tulane University of Louisiana LA · Private, nonprofit · 47 graduates measured | $54,691 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Florida Atlantic University FL · Public · 27 graduates measured | $53,769 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Kentucky KY · Public · 132 graduates measured | $47,729 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Social Work
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social and community service managers | $80,390 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Marriage and family therapists | $66,940 | +13.5% | Master's degree |
| Counselors, all other | $50,860 | +5.9% | Master's degree |
| Child, family, and school social workers | $59,550 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Healthcare social workers | $67,880 | +8.5% | Master's degree |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | $60,280 | +10.3% | Master's degree |
| Social workers, all other | $71,900 | +2.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists | $66,270 | +3.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Social work teachers, postsecondary | $77,570 | +2.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 44.0701 Social Work
- 44.0702 Youth Services/Administration
- 44.0703 Forensic Social Work
- 44.0799 Social Work, Other