Salary for an Adoption Caseworker
Social workers most often assist and advocate for children in abusive situations or the foster care system. Adoption caseworkers specialize in getting children placed into forever homes with loving parents. They screen potential parents to make sure they are financially and emotionally fit as well as a good match for the child. Adoption caseworkers also process all the paperwork involved to legally transfer guardianship of the child. Salaries for adoption caseworkers can vary according to factors like industry and location.
Other People Are Reading
-
Salary Range
-
Adoption caseworkers are classified by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics under the child, family and school social worker category. As of their 2010 data, the lowest reported wage is the 10th percentile income at $26,170 per year, or $12.58 per hour. The highest wage ranks as the 90th percentile income at $68,030 per year, or $32.71 an hour.
Average Salary
-
The middle 50 percent of adoption caseworkers make between $32,270 and $52,450 per year or between $15.52 and $25.21 per hour as of 2010, according to the BLS. The mean or average salary as of that year is $43,850 a year, or $21.08 an hour.
-
Location Differences
-
Salaries for adoption caseworkers can vary significantly by state. The state with the highest employment as of 2010 is California, according to the BLS, with an average salary of $50,090 per year. Texas pays its adoption caseworkers a mean $38,610 per year, while Illinois pays its caseworkers $53,540 per year on average. Connecticut earns the title of top-paying state, with a mean income of $61,310 per year.
Industry Matters
-
The industry in which an adoption caseworker is employed also affects her salary. For example, a caseworker employed in the individual and family services industry earns a mean $37,120 annually as of 2010 BLS figures, while one working at a social advocacy organization makes $36,880 on average. State governments pay adoption caseworkers a mean $43,500 per year, but local governments pay one of the highest salaries at an average $49,060 annually.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Pixland/Getty Images
