Social Work federal employee pay and staffing
This page shows how large the Social Work series is across government, what the average pay looks like, and which agencies employ the biggest share of people in this occupation.
What this page helps you check
Use this page when you want to see where a federal occupation is concentrated, which agencies employ the most people in it, and what the average pay looks like across government.
Occupation family
Social Work is reported under the "Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group" family in the latest OPM summary.
Agencies that employ the most Social Work staff
These are the agencies with the biggest reported headcount in this occupation series.
| Agency | Department | Employees | Total salary expense | Average pay | Share of occupation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veterans Health Administration | Department of Veterans Affairs | 21,534 | $2,311,030,986 | $107,320 | 90.2% |
| Military Treatment Facilities Under DHA | Department of Defense | 731 | $78,293,454 | $107,105 | 3.1% |
| U.s. Army Medical Command | Department of Defense | 454 | $47,701,518 | $105,069 | 1.9% |
| Air National Guard Units | Department of Defense | 107 | $11,477,141 | $107,263 | 0.4% |
| Air Combat Command | Department of Defense | 104 | $10,486,320 | $100,830 | 0.4% |
| Army National Guard Units | Department of Defense | 94 | $9,556,127 | $101,661 | 0.4% |
| Indian Health Service | Department of Health and Human Services | 84 | $8,668,804 | $103,200 | 0.4% |
| "Commander, Navy Installations" | Department of Defense | 67 | $6,926,357 | $103,378 | 0.3% |
| United States Army Installation Management Command | Department of Defense | 53 | $5,256,681 | $99,183 | 0.2% |
| Air Mobility Command | Department of Defense | 47 | $4,922,921 | $104,743 | 0.2% |
| Air Education and Training Command | Department of Defense | 44 | $4,411,528 | $100,262 | 0.2% |
| Pacific Air Forces | Department of Defense | 42 | $4,040,610 | $96,205 | 0.2% |
| Air Force Global Strike Command | Department of Defense | 38 | $3,786,738 | $99,651 | 0.2% |
| Bureau of Prisons/Federal Prison System | Department of Justice | 36 | $3,342,420 | $92,845 | 0.2% |
| "Headquarters, Air Force Reserve Command" | Department of Defense | 32 | $3,497,024 | $109,282 | 0.1% |
| Indian Affairs | Department of the Interior | 32 | $3,599,666 | $112,490 | 0.1% |
| Air Force Materiel Command | Department of Defense | 21 | $2,275,161 | $108,341 | 0.1% |
| U.s. Marine Corps | Department of Defense | 17 | $1,545,589 | $90,917 | 0.1% |
| National Institutes of Health | Department of Health and Human Services | 17 | $1,987,504 | $116,912 | 0.1% |
| "U.s. Air Forces, Europe" | Department of Defense | 16 | $1,387,984 | $86,749 | 0.1% |
| Air Force Special Operations Command | Department of Defense | 15 | $1,483,230 | $98,882 | 0.1% |
| Forest Service | Department of Agriculture | 13 | $1,056,809 | $81,293 | 0.1% |
Common pay plans for Social Work
This shows the pay plans most commonly attached to this occupation series in the latest OPM summary.
| Pay plan | Employees | Average pay | Share of occupation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS | 22,861 | $109,437 | 95.8% |
| AD | 716 | $31,584 | 3.0% |
| NH | 21 | $108,341 | 0.1% |
Occupation totals come from the latest OPM FedScope Employment Summary Data (March 2025).