2023 Salary Report for Social Workers in Virginia

Salary Report for Virginia Social Workers

Virginia Rankings

Compare Virginia to U.S.

Virginia Social Workers earn an average of $58,100 which is 5% more than the national average salary of $54,880.

Type	Virginia	U.S.	% Difference
Average Hourly Wage	$27.93	$26.39	5.84%
Average Annual Salary	$58,100	$54,880	5.87%

Salary Range by Education and Experience

In Virginia, 50% of Social Workers earn between $45,720 and $62,950 a year, depending on factors such as level of education, experience, location and place of employment.

About 10% of Social Workers earn more than $80,570, a rate generally associated with highly educated and experienced Social Workers.

Approximately 10% of Social Workers earn under $37,300, a rate generally reserved for less experienced or entry level Social Workers.

Percent	Experience	Employed	Annual Salary
10%	Less than a Year	927	Under $37,300
15%	2 – 4 years	1,390	$37,300 – $45,720
25%	5 – 9 years	2,318	$45,720 – $49,860
25%	10 – 14 years	2,318	$49,860 – $62,950
15%	15 – 20 years	1,390	$49,860 – $80,570
10%	20+ years	927	Above $80,570

Adjusted for Cost-of-Living

After being adjusted for cost-of-living, Social Workers in Virginia psychologists earn about $57,536 per year which is more than the average U.S. psychologist of $54,880.

Cost-of-living in Virginia is 1% higher than the national average, which means Virginia residents have an overall higher cost for food, housing, utilities and transportation compared to other states.

More cost-of-living reports for U.S. States.

Salary Compared to Related Professions

With an average annual salary of $58,100, Virginia Social Workers tend to earn less than Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($108,910), Industrial Organizational Psychologists ($108,700), Forensic Psychologists ($104,670), School Psychologists ($88,890), and Psychology Teachers ($83,580).

However, Social Workers tend to earn more than Substance Abuse Counselors ($53,210), Marriage and Family Therapists ($53,550), and Health Care Social Workers ($57,420).

Title	Annual Salary
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists	$108,910
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	$108,700
Forensic Psychologists	$104,670
School Psychologists	$88,890
Psychology Teachers	$83,580
Social Workers	$58,100
Health Care Social Workers	$57,420
Marriage and Family Therapists	$53,550
Substance Abuse Counselors	$53,210

Projected Demand for Psychologists in 2030

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that in Virginia the three professions needing the most new psychologists by 2030 are Substance Abuse Counselors (16,930), Social Workers (9,860) and Health Care Social Workers (3,980).

The three professions in Virginia needing highest percentage new psychologists by 2030 are Substance Abuse Counselors (19.5%), Psychology Teachers (14.2%) and Marriage and Family Therapists (13.9%).

Title	2020	2030	Change	Yearly Openings
Substance Abuse Counselors	14,170	16,930	19.5%	1,700
Social Workers	8,780	9,860	12.3%	960
Health Care Social Workers	3,500	3,980	13.7%	390
Forensic Psychologists	1,640	1,670	1.8%	110
Psychology Teachers	1,200	1,370	14.2%	130
Marriage and Family Therapists	720	820	13.9%	80
Industrial Organizational Psychologists	560	490	-12.5%	30

Salaries Ranked by Virginia Cities

The average salary for Social Workers in Virginia is $58,100. The top cities that pay Social Workers the most are Winchester ($54,400), Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News ($54,170) and Charlottesville ($53,290).

When adjusted for cost-of-living, the cities that pay Social Workers the highest average annual salary are Winchester ($57,952), Staunton-Waynesboro ($56,564) and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News ($56,321).

The following table shows the average yearly salary range for Social Workers in each city, and the average yearly salary after being adjusted for cost-of-living in that state.

The difference column shows how much more or less purchasing power a Social Workers salary will have in that area.

Area	Average Salary	COL Adjusted	Difference
Winchester	$54,400	$57,952	$3,552
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News	$54,170	$56,321	$2,151
Charlottesville	$53,290	$55,149	$1,859
Richmond	$52,250	$54,746	$2,496
Staunton-Waynesboro	$50,800	$56,564	$5,764
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford	$50,730	$55,455	$4,725
Northwest Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$48,410	$56,024	$7,614
Harrisonburg	$47,810	$51,150	$3,340
Southside Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$45,940	$53,165	$7,225
Northeast Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$45,000	$52,077	$7,077
Lynchburg	$44,370	$49,465	$5,095
Roanoke	$43,960	$48,207	$4,247
Southwest Virginia Nonmetropolitan Area	$43,880	$50,781	$6,901

Salary FAQ for Virginia Social Workers

City and Rural Summaries

Official Data Sources for Social Workers: Salary Data | Projected Employment | Cost of Living Data