Social Worker Salary in South West
Official ONS earnings for South West.
Median salary — South West
£41,199
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 8.4% change on the previous year
Mean
£38,619
What a typical social worker takes home
On the median of £41,199, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,765
Take-home a year
£33,183
Income Tax
£5,726
National Insurance
£2,290
What most social workers actually earn
Half of social workers across the UK earn between £35,841 and £48,907. Earning above £48,907 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
This range is UK-wide — ONS publishes no regional breakdown of the spread for this occupation.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of social workers earn less than this.
How South West ranks for social worker pay
5th
of 6 GB regions with a published figure
London tops the table on £46,435 and East sits at the bottom on £40,836. South West is £5,236 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Social workers
- SOC 2020 code
- 2461
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Social Worker salary FAQs
What is the average Social Worker salary in South West?
The median is £41,199 a year and the mean is £38,619, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a social worker earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £23.21 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for South West.
What is a good Social Worker salary?
Half of social workers earn between £35,841 and £48,907. Anything above £48,907 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a social worker?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of social workers earn under £24,877 and the lowest quarter under £35,841 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
How much do the highest-paid social workers earn?
The top 10% of social workers earn more than £54,862 a year, and the top quarter more than £48,907. ASHE does not publish figures above the 90th percentile.
Do social workers in South West earn more than the UK average?
The median in South West is £41,199 against £42,708 across the UK, 3.5% lower, which places it 5th highest of the 6 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has social worker pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +8.4% for this occupation in South West. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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