Foster Care Caseworker Salary in the United States

How much does a Foster Care Caseworker make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Foster Care Caseworker in the United States is $81,585 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.

However, a Foster Care Caseworker's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $101,310
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $71,755 to $91,910
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $62,805
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View as table View as graph 25% $71,755 10% $62,805 90% $101,310 75% $91,910 $81,585 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Foster Care Caseworker Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $91,910 $7,659 $1,767 $44
Average $81,585 $6,799 $1,569 $39
25th Percentile $71,755 $5,980 $1,380 $34
Check out Foster Care Caseworker Job Openings in the United States
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Sevita - Youngstown, OH

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Foster Care Supervisor

Caring for Kids - Stow, OH

Therapist

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Search More Foster Care Caseworker Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Foster Care Caseworker Salaries

A Foster Care Caseworker's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Foster Care Caseworker Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Foster Care Caseworker's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $80,629
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $80,902
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $84,477
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $89,207
  • Expert (over 8 years): $89,545
Levels Salary
Entry Level Foster Care Caseworker$80,629
Intermediate Level Foster Care Caseworker$80,902
Senior Level Foster Care Caseworker$84,477
Specialist Level Foster Care Caseworker$89,207
Expert Level Foster Care Caseworker$89,545
$80,629 0 yr
$80,902 < 2 yrs
$84,477 2-4 yrs
$89,207 5-8 yrs
$89,545 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Foster Care Caseworker Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Foster Care Caseworkers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $90,331.
  • California: $89,988.
  • Massachusetts: $88,789.

Top Paying Cities for Foster Care Caseworkers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $102,903
  • San Francisco: $101,776
  • Oakland: $99,631

What Skills Can Increase a Foster Care Caseworker's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Coordination (Mentioned in 4.16% Job Postings): Ability to plan, execute, and adjust job duties to achieve business goals.
  • Acute Care (Mentioned in 2.85% Job Postings): Acute care is a branch of secondary health care where a patient receives active but short-term treatment for a severe injury or episode of illness, an urgent medical condition, or during recovery from surgery. In medical terms, care for acute health conditions is the opposite from chronic care, or longer term care. Acute care services are generally delivered by teams of health care professionals from a range of medical and surgical specialties. Acute care may require a stay in a hospital emergency department, ambulatory surgery center, urgent care centre or other short-term stay facility, along with the assistance of diagnostic services, surgery, or follow-up outpatient care in the community. Hospital-based acute inpatient care typically has the goal of discharging patients as soon as they are deemed healthy and stable. Acute care settings include emergency department, intensive care, coronary care, cardiology, neonatal intensive care, and many general areas where the patient could become acutely unwell and require stabilization and transfer to another higher dependency unit for further treatment.
  • Administrative Support (Mentioned in 1.73% Job Postings): Administrative support means technical assistance, studies, surveys, or securing volunteers to assist the department in fulfilling its administrative responsibilities.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Coordination 4.16%
Acute Care 2.85%
Administrative Support 1.73%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Foster Care Caseworker's salary.
  • Workday: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
  • Care Management: Can increase your salary by up to 15%.
  • Process Management: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Workday
$95,454
17%
Care Management
$93,823
15%
Process Management
$91,375
12%
Managed Care
$89,743
10%
Acute Care
$88,927
9%
Patient Care
$86,480
6%
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Foster Care Caseworker Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Foster Care Caseworker roles, the industry you choose can impact your earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the highest-paying industry, Healthcare, offers compensation 10% above the average. Conversely, Foster Care Caseworker positions in Edu., Government & Nonprofit typically offer lower base pay, as this sector often view Foster Care Caseworker as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Foster Care Caseworker

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Healthcare$89,743$43.010%

How Education impacts a Foster Care Caseworker's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Foster Care Caseworkers enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Foster Care Caseworker with a Bachelor's Degree is between $65,888 and $74,850).

Foster Care Caseworker Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Foster Care Caseworker
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.3%
High School 6.2%
Associates 7.3%
Bachelors 68.6%
Masters 17.3%
Doctorate 0.3%
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Foster Care Caseworker Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Foster Care Caseworker's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Foster Care Caseworker

Salaries for a Foster Care Caseworker can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $60,734 in 2023 to around $57,915 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Foster Care Caseworker salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Foster Care Caseworker Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$60,734
2024
$58,970
2025
$57,915
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $60,734
2024 $58,970
2025 $57,915
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Foster Care Caseworker

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Foster Care Caseworker

Here are companies hiring for Foster Care Caseworker and their salaries, click below for more details.

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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