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Social Worker vs Operations Manager Salary

National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data

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Social Workers earn a national median of $54,150/year vs Operations Managers at $107,580/year. Operations Managers earn 99% more nationally. The gap is $53,430 per year — or $4,453 per month.

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Social Worker
$54,150
national median/year
$4,513/mo • $26/hr
VS
Operations Manager
$107,580
national median/year
$8,965/mo • $52/hr

Annual salary gap

$53,430

Operations Managers earn 99% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $605,645.

Best states for Operations Managers

vs Social Workers

New York+$74,260
California+$70,260
Virginia+$70,260
Massachusetts+$68,260
New Jersey+$68,260

Best states for Social Workers

vs Operations Managers

Alaska+$-34,260
Mississippi+$-34,260
North Dakota+$-34,260
West Virginia+$-34,260
Arkansas+$-36,260

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Frequently Asked Questions

Operations Managers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Social Workers is $54,150 versus $107,580 for Operations Managers — a difference of $53,430 per year or $4,453 per month.

The national median salary gap between Social Workers and Operations Managers is $53,430 per year. Operations Managers earn 99% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $605,645.

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 Operations Managers the highest median salary at $138,580 per year.

Salary is one factor — Operations Managers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Child, Family, and School Social Workers and General and Operations Managers 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 Operations Managers earn approximately $52 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.

Last updated: June 2026

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.