Side-by-side distribution
Program Officer
$65,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 52.2%
- Live roles
- 575
Social Worker
$80,038
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 48.2%
- Live roles
- 3,249
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Program Officer, Software & AI
Senior Program Officer
Chief Program Officer, Policy, Research, and Prevention
Chief Program Officer, Exoneration Strategy & Support
Senior Program Officer, Evidence for Systems Improvement (11-month LTE*)
Senior Strategy Officer, US Program (three openings)
Senior Program Officer, Policy and Evidence
Facilities Capital Investments Program Regional Coordinator
Logistics Security Cooperation Program Coordinator, Senior
Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Lead Coordinator, Pediatric Trauma Program
Highest-paying jobs
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor
Social Worker (Community Outreach)
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) - Part-Time + Up to $1k Bonus
Licensed Clinical Social Worker III, Women's Health
Supervisor, Care Management (Social Worker)
Clinical Social Worker - Care Coordination (Per Diem)
Medical Social Worker II, Per-Diem
Medical Social Worker II
Medical Social Worker II
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
The University of Texas at Austin
|
$55,000 | 27 |
Penn State University
|
$52,638 | 10 |
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
|
$103,540 | 9 |
Esri
|
$125,840 | 6 |
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$61,942 | 6 |
University of Pennsylvania
|
$57,834 | 6 |
Georgetown University
|
$56,116 | 6 |
| SO State of North Carolina | $62,592 | 5 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Greenlife Healthcare Staffing
|
$76,000 | 206 |
| LP Liquid Personnel | $81,728 | 197 |
Thriveworks
|
$100,300 | 190 |
|
Gotham Enterprises Ltd
|
$117,500 | 142 |
Lifestance
|
$93,600 | 138 |
CenterWell
|
$75,750 | 38 |
University of Rochester
|
$74,131 | 34 |
Advocate Health
|
$79,820 | 29 |
Social Worker salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $109,509 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $109,026 | 6 |
| Chicago | $88,750 | 14 |
| Boston | $82,888 | 15 |
| New York | $76,003 | 55 |
| Los Angeles | $76,000 | 5 |
| Denver | $76,000 | 8 |
| Atlanta | $76,000 | 7 |
| Austin | $70,375 | 6 |
| London | $64,990 | 10 |
Program Officer vs Social Worker: which pays more?
The median for Program Officer is $65,000 per year (typically $53,628–$88,434), versus $80,038 for Social Worker ($67,860–$95,000). That puts Social Worker about 23% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Program Officer and Social Worker are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.