SOC 21-1022 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Healthcare Social Workers — Minnesota
Minnesota · 5 metro areas compared
In Minnesota the median wage for Healthcare Social Workers is $73,970 a year, which is 9.0% higher than the national figure of $67,880.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +7.7%
- Openings per year
- 18,400
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- Internship/residency
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Minnesota.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Minnesota the median wage for Healthcare Social Workers is $73,970 a year, which is 9.0% higher than the national figure of $67,880. Half of workers earn between $61,180 and $84,260. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $51,720 and the ninetieth at $95,200.
The area has 2,430 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.8 of every thousand jobs. Among the 51 states with published data for this occupation, Minnesota ranks 16th by median wage. Rochester leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $80,590. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 314th of 721 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $51,720 | −23.8% |
| 25th | $61,180 | −9.9% |
| Median (50th) | $73,970 | +9.0% |
| 75th | $84,260 | +24.1% |
| 90th | $95,200 | +40.2% |
| Mean | $73,510 | +8.3% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Minnesota
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester | $80,590 | 230 | |
| 2 | Mankato | $78,800 | 90 | |
| 3 | Minneapolis | $73,970 | 1,630 | |
| 4 | St. Cloud | $65,970 | 80 | |
| 5 | Duluth | $63,590 | 160 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Minnesota sit close to the national average, so $73,970 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$73,970as reported by BLSLocal price level
98.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$75,020US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $73,970 a year, 9.0% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $51,720 to $95,200 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 2,430 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 16th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Rochester, at $80,590.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Healthcare Social Workers in Minnesota?
The median annual wage is $73,970, or $35.56 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $67,880, so pay in Minnesota is 9.0% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Minnesota earns more than $95,200 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $51,720 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Rochester, at $80,590 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 2,430 jobs in this occupation in Minnesota. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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