Physician (Doctor) vs Social Worker Salary
Physician (Doctor)s earn approximately 76.1% more than Social Workers nationally — $230,000 vs $55,000.
Physician (Doctor) vs Social Worker: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Physician (Doctor)s out-earn Social Workers by $175,000 per year — a 76.1% gap. That works out to roughly $14,583/month or $84/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $175,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$1,750,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$7,000,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $175,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $34,825,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Physician (Doctor) in California ≈ $271,400 (1.18× national)
- Physician (Doctor) in Mississippi ≈ $193,200 (0.84× national)
- Social Worker in California ≈ $64,900
- Social Worker in Mississippi ≈ $46,200
Use our Physician (Doctor) salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
Other comparisons in Healthcare
Related tools
Physician (Doctor) salary by state — Social Worker salary by state — Best cities for Physician (Doctor) — Best cities for Social Worker — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.