Social Worker.
Albuquerque.
$58,000
median salary, 16% below the national average
$44,000 to $80,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Social Worker offer in Albuquerque, NM, here is the reality: $44,000 to $80,000, with $58,000 as the midpoint. 16% below the national average. Licensure level creates the starkest pay divisions, with LCSW holders earning 25 to 40% more than BSW-level workers. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Social Worker in Albuquerque, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $90,310 for Social Workers, All Other (SOC 21-1029) in the Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area, based on 150 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$60,260
25th percentile
$70,120
Median
$90,310
75th percentile
$108,240
90th percentile
$114,820
Workers surveyed
150
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $58,000 is 36% lower than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Social Workers, All Other covers a different population than the Social Worker title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Social Workers, All Other (SOC 21-1029) rather than Social Worker specifically. The Albuquerque range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 21-1029Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $52,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$38,000
to $46,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$49,000
to $61,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$64,000
to $75,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$73,000
to $90,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $14,000 to the total package.
Base
$58,000
Equity
$8,000
Bonus
$5,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $72,000
How Albuquerque compares.
Albuquerque, NM
$58,000
Cost of living: 12% below average
National Average
$69,000
Albuquerque is $11,000 below
Social Worker salary by city.
Salary by role in Albuquerque.
What you should know.
Here is what the Social Worker market actually looks like in Albuquerque. Albuquerque's economy is driven by Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories, Kirtland Air Force Base, and a growing film production industry. The city offers affordable living and a strong pipeline of research and engineering jobs tied to national defense and energy programs. Licensure level creates the starkest pay divisions, with LCSW holders earning 25 to 40% more than BSW-level workers. Clinical social workers in private practice or healthcare settings significantly outearn child welfare and school social workers. Urban areas with higher costs of living generally offer better salaries but not always proportionally.
BSW-level social workers start at $40,000 to $45,000. Licensed MSWs earn $50,000 to $63,000 after three to five years. Clinical directors and program administrators reach $68,000 to $85,000, with private practice LCSWs earning $80,000 to $110,000 or more. In Albuquerque, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 12% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
Base salary is not the full picture. Government and hospital social workers receive comprehensive benefits packages, pension contributions, and loan forgiveness eligibility through PSLF. Private practice LCSWs can earn substantially more through insurance billing but must cover their own benefits and overhead. And on the tax side: new Mexico's top income tax rate is 5.9%. Albuquerque has no city income tax. The moderate state rate and affordable housing create reasonable net compensation. When someone quotes you $58,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight security clearance or national lab experience. Sandia and Los Alamos pay nationally competitive salaries with excellent federal benefits packages. The range for Social Workers in Albuquerque runs from $44,000 to $80,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Common questions.
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Other salaries in Albuquerque.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Social Worker Salary in Albuquerque, NM." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/social-worker/albuquerque
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