National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Social Workers earn a national median of $54,150/year vs Machine Learning Engineers at $158,000/year. Machine Learning Engineers earn 192% more nationally. The gap is $103,850 per year — or $8,654 per month.
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Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
VS
Machine Learning Engineer
$158,000
national median/year
$13,167/mo • $76/hr
Annual salary gap
$103,850
Machine Learning Engineers earn 192% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,177,170.
Best states for Machine Learning Engineers
vs Social Workers
California+$143,680
Washington+$135,680
Virginia+$127,680
New York+$123,680
Massachusetts+$119,680
Best states for Social Workers
vs Machine Learning Engineers
Mississippi+$-65,680
West Virginia+$-65,680
North Dakota+$-67,680
Wyoming+$-67,680
Alaska+$-69,680
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Machine Learning Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Social Workers is $54,150 versus $158,000 for Machine Learning Engineers — a difference of $103,850 per year or $8,654 per month.
The national median salary gap between Social Workers and Machine Learning Engineers is $103,850 per year. Machine Learning Engineers earn 192% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,177,170.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Social Workers the highest median salary at $68,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Machine Learning Engineers the highest median salary at $212,000 per year.
Salary is one factor — Machine Learning Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Child, Family, and School Social Workers and Computer and Information Research Scientists 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, Social Workers earn approximately $26 per hour nationally and Machine Learning Engineers earn approximately $76 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.
