National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Social Workers earn a national median of $54,150/year vs Nurses at $89,010/year. Nurses earn 64% more nationally. The gap is $34,860 per year — or $2,905 per month.
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Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
VS
Nurse
$89,010
national median/year
$7,418/mo • $43/hr
Annual salary gap
$34,860
Nurses earn 64% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $395,148.
Best states for Nurses
vs Social Workers
California+$63,150
Hawaii+$48,000
Oregon+$43,000
Washington+$42,000
Nevada+$39,000
Best states for Social Workers
vs Nurses
South Dakota+$-22,000
Arkansas+$-22,890
Alabama+$-23,000
Kentucky+$-23,000
Indiana+$-24,000
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Nurses earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Social Workers is $54,150 versus $89,010 for Nurses — a difference of $34,860 per year or $2,905 per month.
The national median salary gap between Social Workers and Nurses is $34,860 per year. Nurses earn 64% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $395,148.
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 Nurses the highest median salary at $131,470 per year.
Salary is one factor — Nurses earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Child, Family, and School Social Workers and Registered Nurses 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 Nurses earn approximately $43 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.
