Where is it easiest to open: Other Individual and Family Services
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 21-1021” (soc) for Child, Family, and School Social Workers. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 4,667 | 12.7 | $51,825 | not matched | — |
| NY | 2,221 | 21.7 | $45,637 | exam | Licensed Master Social Worker |
| FL | 1,955 | 9.3 | $44,353 | exam | Certified Master Social Worker; School Social Worker (grades PK-12) |
| TX | 1,942 | 11.0 | $44,895 | licence | SOCIAL WORKER |
| PA | 1,593 | 14.5 | $40,532 | exam | Licensed Social Worker |
| NC | 1,368 | 8.1 | $38,542 | exam | Certified Master Social Worker; Certified Social Worker |
| IL | 1,276 | 19.0 | $41,766 | exam | LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER; LICENSED SOCIAL WORKER |
| WA | 1,227 | 11.5 | $50,803 | not matched | — |
| OH | 1,141 | 13.6 | $42,749 | exam | Independent Social Worker; Social Worker |
| MN | 1,130 | 10.8 | $42,033 | not matched | — |
| GA | 1,017 | 9.0 | $40,431 | exam | Master Social Worker |
| MA | 953 | 15.6 | $47,961 | exam | SOCIAL WORKER ASSISTANT; SOCIAL WORKER, LICENSED |
| MD | 908 | 9.1 | $48,961 | licence | Juvenile Youth Supervisor |
| MI | 879 | 15.2 | $39,659 | not matched | — |
| VA | 822 | 12.0 | $44,078 | exam | Associate Social Worker/Social Worker ; Baccalaureate Social Worker License |
| CO | 820 | 8.9 | $51,348 | exam | Licensed Social Worker; Provisional Social Worker |
| NJ | 800 | 18.4 | $43,722 | exam | SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER; SOCIAL WORKER |
| AZ | 679 | 12.2 | $45,714 | licence | Standard School Social Worker |
| IN | 656 | 11.6 | $38,656 | exam | Temporary Social Worker Permit |
| OR | 637 | 14.0 | $49,183 | licence | Baccalaureate Social Worker - Registra; Licensed Master's Social Worker (LMSW) |
| WI | 618 | 13.6 | $46,063 | exam | SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER; SOCIAL WORKER |
| MO | 587 | 12.7 | $44,772 | exam | Child, Family, and School Social Worke |
| OK | 550 | 8.9 | $45,323 | exam | Master’s Social Worker, Licensed; Social Worker Associate, Licensed |
| SC | 507 | 7.0 | $39,824 | licence | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker; Licensed Independent Social Worker - A |
| TN | 498 | 12.5 | $43,970 | exam | LICENSED ADVANCED PRACTICE SOCIAL WORK; LICENSED BACCALAUREATE SOCIAL WORKER |
| KY | 493 | 10.0 | $36,027 | exam | Certified Social Worker; Certified Social Worker (Master's Degr |
| AL | 477 | 8.5 | $35,543 | exam | Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW); Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) |
| IA | 457 | 9.7 | $39,574 | not matched | — |
| CT | 428 | 16.5 | $44,137 | exam | Master's Level Social Worker; Master's Level Social Worker - Tempora |
| LA | 424 | 11.5 | $39,815 | not matched | — |
| UT | 397 | 6.7 | $39,817 | licence | CHILD, FAMILY, AND SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKE; SOCIAL SERVICE WORKER |
| ID | 348 | 8.6 | $35,359 | exam | Masters Social Worker; Social Workers |
| KS | 343 | 8.5 | $39,778 | not matched | — |
| NM | 333 | 6.9 | $42,041 | licence | Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (; Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) |
| AR | 296 | 8.0 | $37,580 | exam | Licensed Master Social Worker |
| ME | 269 | 14.4 | $47,853 | exam | Social Worker, Licensed; Social Worker, Licensed Clinical |
| NE | 246 | 12.0 | $38,428 | not matched | — |
| DC | 241 | 18.3 | $76,444 | not matched | — |
| NV | 231 | 11.0 | $47,996 | not matched | — |
| MT | 230 | 6.4 | $37,094 | exam | Board of Behavioral Health - Baccalaur; Board of Behavioral Health - Baccal So |
| MS | 216 | 9.8 | $37,313 | not matched | — |
| WV | 185 | 10.1 | $38,883 | not matched | — |
| HI | 173 | 9.8 | $46,067 | not matched | — |
| NH | 165 | 15.0 | $42,038 | licence | School Social Worker |
| SD | 162 | 5.7 | $48,090 | licence | Certified Social Worker; Certified Social Worker--Private or In |
| VT | 146 | 11.9 | $47,812 | exam | Educator; Licensed Independent Clinical Social W |
| AK | 143 | 11.9 | $55,243 | not matched | — |
| DE | 138 | 15.5 | $42,516 | exam | School Social Worker |
| RI | 124 | 20.8 | $46,590 | exam | School Social Worker |
| WY | 117 | 7.9 | $43,546 | exam | CERTIFIED SOCIAL WORKER |
| ND | 70 | 9.5 | $49,236 | not matched | — |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.