Community & Social Service

Licensed Clinical Social Workers

SOC 21-1023

Provide mental health counseling and connect clients to resources.

The job

Median pay

$60k

$47k to $80k typical range

Outlook, 2025 to 2035

Growing fast

+10% projected

Openings a year

13k

BLS projection

Typical education

Master's plus license

Our model

AI displacement risk

Moderate

How much of this job AI may do instead of the person

Works with AI

27/100

AI alongside the person rather than instead of them

AI exposure

61st pct

More exposed than 61% of occupations · modeled estimate · 51st pct in Microsoft's data

Future-proof

65/100

Take the next step

Weigh it against Healthcare Social WorkersPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostNew York leads at $79k; every state is below Find careers like itOpen the map at Licensed Clinical Social Workers and explore its neighbours See open jobsLicensed Clinical Social Workers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Licensed Clinical Social Workers, who lean most on active listening Real pay & reviewsWhat Licensed Clinical Social Workers say they actually earn

Key skills

Active Listening
Speaking
Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Writing

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 51 states. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
California	19,860	1.1	1.3×	$79k
New York	14,820	1.5	1.8×	$79k
Texas	8,220	0.6	0.7×	$47k
Massachusetts	7,440	2.0	2.4×	$63k
Ohio	6,050	1.1	1.3×	$46k
Florida	5,150	0.5	0.6×	$52k
Michigan	4,620	1.0	1.2×	$61k
Arizona	3,690	1.1	1.3×	$46k
North Carolina	3,690	0.7	0.9×	$58k
Virginia	3,670	0.9	1.1×	$64k

All 51 states

State	Jobs	Per 1,000	vs national	Median pay
Minnesota	3,590	1.2	1.4×	$75k
Pennsylvania	3,500	0.6	0.7×	$48k
Washington	3,490	1.0	1.1×	$70k
Illinois	3,460	0.6	0.7×	$50k
Indiana	2,490	0.8	0.9×	$48k
New Jersey	2,420	0.6	0.7×	$67k
Maryland	2,250	0.8	0.9×	$74k
Oregon	2,230	1.1	1.3×	$68k
Tennessee	2,220	0.7	0.8×	$47k
Wisconsin	1,880	0.6	0.8×	$62k
Maine	1,860	2.9	3.4×	$57k
Oklahoma	1,780	1.0	1.2×	$43k
Colorado	1,640	0.6	0.7×	$66k
Missouri	1,640	0.6	0.7×	$50k
Kansas	1,620	1.1	1.3×	$56k
Connecticut	1,540	0.9	1.1×	$79k
Kentucky	1,360	0.7	0.8×	$43k
Georgia	1,330	0.3	0.3×	$52k
Utah	1,240	0.7	0.8×	$51k
Iowa	1,200	0.8	0.9×	$49k
Nevada	1,100	0.7	0.8×	$63k
Arkansas	1,040	0.8	0.9×	$59k
Louisiana	970	0.5	0.6×	$47k
Mississippi	920	0.8	0.9×	$49k
Nebraska	900	0.9	1.0×	$43k
New Mexico	800	0.9	1.1×	$66k
Rhode Island	800	1.6	1.9×	$61k
Alabama	740	0.4	0.4×	$42k
Montana	740	1.4	1.7×	$45k
South Carolina	720	0.3	0.4×	$40k
Hawaii	573	0.9	1.1×	$54k~
Delaware	510	1.1	1.2×	$60k
Washington DC	510	0.7	0.8×	$73k
Idaho	510	0.6	0.7×	$53k
West Virginia	420	0.6	0.7×	$50k
New Hampshire	320	0.5	0.6×	$64k
Vermont	320	1.1	1.2×	$73k
Alaska	250	0.8	0.9×	$57k
North Dakota	240	0.6	0.7×	$61k
South Dakota	230	0.5	0.6×	$49k
Wyoming	200	0.7	0.8×	$59k

Top metro areas

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ12,090 jobs · $82k median
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA9,380 jobs · $78k median
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH4,660 jobs · $64k median
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ2,870 jobs · $46k median
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX2,720 jobs · $47k median
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI2,500 jobs · $75k median
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN2,450 jobs · $58k median
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV2,180 jobs · $78k median

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Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.