National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Doctors earn a national median of $236,000/year vs Social Workers at $54,150/year. Doctors earn 77% more nationally. The gap is $181,850 per year — or $15,154 per month.
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Doctor
$236,000
national median/year
$19,667/mo • $113/hr
VS
Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
Annual salary gap
$181,850
Doctors earn 77% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $2,061,323.
Best states for Social Workers
vs Doctors
Arkansas+$-168,000
West Virginia+$-170,000
Mississippi+$-172,000
Idaho+$-174,000
Iowa+$-174,000
Best states for Doctors
vs Social Workers
Massachusetts+$196,000
New Jersey+$194,000
Minnesota+$192,000
Connecticut+$190,000
Maryland+$190,000
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Doctors earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Doctors is $236,000 versus $54,150 for Social Workers — a difference of $181,850 per year or $15,154 per month.
The national median salary gap between Doctors and Social Workers is $181,850 per year. Doctors earn 77% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $2,061,323.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Massachusetts pays Doctors the highest median salary at $258,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Social Workers the highest median salary at $68,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Doctors earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Physicians and Surgeons and Child, Family, and School Social Workers both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Doctors earn approximately $113 per hour nationally and Social Workers earn approximately $26 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
