PermanentPosted 7 days ago
Advanced Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Pediatric Palliative Care Program
Stanford Children's Health · Palo Alto, CA
$59.42–$66.62/ hour
New this week
Clinical Social Worker jobs in Palo Alto, CA
Pay for clinical social workers in the Palo Alto area centers on $50.96 per hour, or about $106,000 a year. The lower quarter earns under $38.40 and the upper quarter over $62.95. The CMS hospital directory lists 2 hospitals in Palo Alto. That ranks 6th of 370 U.S. metro areas for clinical social worker pay, and 6th of 333 once local prices are factored in. Tell us your role and we email current openings near Palo Alto.
- $50.96median pay per hour, San Jose
- $38–$63typical range per hour
- 790clinical social workers employed in the metro area
- 2open roles with published pay
Open Clinical Social Worker roles in Palo Alto
PermanentPosted 21 days ago
Advanced Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Acute Care/Critical Care, Inpatient
Stanford Children's Health · Palo Alto, CA
$59.42–$66.62/ hour
For youUpdated weekly
75+ more Clinical Social Worker roles for you in Palo Alto, CA
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More open Clinical Social Worker roles in Palo Alto
1 more open role from employers in Palo Alto. Each employer’s range arrives with your free pay report.
PermanentPosted 15 days ago
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Emergency Department (Relief / Per-Diem)
Stanford Health Care · Palo Alto, CA
Pay range with your report
Get the Palo Alto Clinical Social Worker pay report
Named employers near Palo Alto, what they pay and the roles open now. Free for candidates, email only.
Get my free pay reportClinical Social Worker pay in Palo Alto, CA
The metro median is 14% above the California statewide median of $44.70 per hour. Nationally the median is $32.74 per hour. BLS counts about 790 healthcare social workers employed in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area, 0.7 per 1,000 jobs. Employment is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole (location quotient 0.58).
| Level | Per hour | Per year | Compared with U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% | $31.21 | $64,920 | 5% below U.S. median |
| Lower quartile | $38.40 | $79,870 | 17% above U.S. median |
| Median | $50.96 | $106,000 | 56% above U.S. median |
| Upper quartile | $62.95 | $130,940 | 92% above U.S. median |
| Top 10% | $77.70 | $161,620 | 137% above U.S. median |
How Palo Alto ranks
- 6th of 370 U.S. metro areas by median hourly pay
- 6th of 333 after adjusting for local prices
- 6th of 24 California metro areas
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024, Healthcare Social Workers (SOC 21-1022), all industries. This is what employers report paying, not an offer for a specific role.
What your pay buys in Palo Alto
- Overall prices in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara run 10% above the U.S. average (index 110.4, U.S. = 100).
- Housing is the biggest driver: 112% above the U.S. average (index 211.9).
- Adjusted for local prices, a $50.96 median hour buys what $46.15 buys at the national price level, 41% above the national median.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area, 2024. Prices are for the metro area, not for a single neighborhood.
Estimate your Palo Alto paycheck
Estimated weekly gross$1,835
- Per year: $91,728
- Per month: $7,644
Gross pay before taxes and benefits, from BLS pay levels for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area. For take-home pay use the take-home pay calculator.
Travel assignment per diem in Palo Alto
| Item | Federal rate |
|---|---|
| Lodging per night | $192 |
| Meals and incidentals per day | $92 |
| Per week (7 nights, 7 days) | $1,988 |
| 13-week assignment | $25,844 |
Travel clinical social worker assignments commonly pay housing and meals stipends. The GSA per diem is the federal benchmark for what those stipends can be tax-free. Whether a stipend is tax-free for you depends on keeping a valid tax home, so confirm with your recruiter and a tax professional. Compare with your offer in the travel pay calculator.
Source: U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates, fiscal year 2026 (average across months).
Hospitals in Palo Alto
CMS lists 2 hospitals in Palo Alto, 1 of the 1 rated ones with 4 or 5 stars. Hospitals are a major employer of clinical social workers.
| Hospital | Type | Ownership | CMS rating | Emergency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Va Medical Center Palo Alto, CA | Acute Care - Veterans Administration | Government and federal | 5 of 5 | Yes |
| Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hsp At Stanford Palo Alto, CA | Children's | Nonprofit | Not rated | No |
Source: CMS Hospital General Information, public data. A directory of hospitals, not a list of our clients.
Mental health shortage areas in Santa Clara County
HRSA lists 13 active mental health shortage designations that include Santa Clara County (13 facility). The highest-scoring one rates 23 on a 0 to 25 scale, where a higher score means a greater shortage.
Shortage areas are where demand for social workers and other mental health clinicians is greatest. Federal loan repayment programs such as the NHSC and Nurse Corps cover some clinicians who work at eligible shortage-area sites. Eligibility is set by each program and by the site, so ask your recruiter before you plan around it.
Source: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas data warehouse, designated areas only. A designation can cover part of a county.
Clinical Social Worker pay in nearby cities
| City | Distance | Median pay | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View, CA | 4 mi | $50.96/hr | 87,316 |
| Sunnyvale, CA | 6 mi | $50.96/hr | 156,792 |
| Redwood City, CA | 9 mi | $49.73/hr | 82,982 |
| Fremont, CA | 13 mi | $49.73/hr | 228,192 |
| San Mateo, CA | 15 mi | $49.73/hr | 103,006 |
| Union City, CA | 16 mi | $49.73/hr | 66,196 |
Clinical Social Worker jobs in California · Clinical Social Worker jobs nationwide
License and tax basics in California
MSW degree. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date.
California taxes wage income. Use your own rates in the take-home pay calculator.
Other healthcare roles in Palo Alto
Palo Alto city guide: hospitals, employers and licensing
Common questions
How much do clinical social workers make in Palo Alto, CA?
Clinical Social Workers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area have a median pay of $50.96 per hour, about $106,000 a year. The middle half earn between $38.40 and $62.95 per hour (BLS, May 2024).
Is Palo Alto a good place for clinical social workers once cost of living is counted?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranks 6th of 333 metro areas for clinical social worker pay after adjusting for local prices, and 6th of 370 before adjusting. Overall prices run 10% above the U.S. average.
Who is hiring clinical social workers in Palo Alto?
We list 2 open roles with published pay from 1 employer in Palo Alto. Your free report adds named employers and pay near Palo Alto.
Do I need a California license to work in Palo Alto as a clinical social worker?
MSW degree. Credentials are issued state by state, so confirm what California requires for your role with the California licensing board and with your recruiter before you commit to a start date. Confirm with the board before you accept a role.
Is Palo Alto in a shortage area?
HRSA lists 13 active mental health shortage designations that include Santa Clara County. Shortage areas often have more openings, and some loan repayment programs cover clinicians who work at eligible sites.
What is the per diem for a travel assignment in Palo Alto?
The federal per diem benchmark in Palo Alto is $192 a night for lodging and $92 a day for meals and incidentals, about $1,988 a week (GSA, fiscal year 2026). Your actual stipend depends on the assignment and your tax home.
Does Valorem Health place clinical social workers in Palo Alto?
Yes. We place healthcare staff in Palo Alto and across California. Tell us your profession and we email the roles open near Palo Alto.
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What do employers near Palo Alto pay clinical social workers? Get the report.
Tell us your role and city. Within 24 hours you get an email with three things, by employer name. It costs you nothing, because employers pay us.
- 1Pay for your role at other hospitals
The hourly pay at named employers near you, so you see who pays most.
- 2What they are offering now
The pay range and median across current postings, and how many were posted this month.
- 3Roles open for you right now
Every current opening near you with pay, shift and start date. Reply with one click.
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230+ Clinical Social Worker roles in California, sent free by email
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Valorem Health Shift ReportFrom your recruiting team · [email protected]
Your Social Worker pay reportPalo Alto, CA · pay published by employers and employer-reported wage offers in federal filings
1Pay for your role at other employers
- Stanford Children's HealthPALO ALTO, CA · 4 postings$63.02/ hr$59–$68
- Stanford Health CarePalo Alto, CA · 2 wage offers$57.03/ hr$45–$82
- El Camino HealthMountain View, CA · 4 postings$66.11/ hr$57–$75
- Veterans Health AdministrationLos Angeles, CA · 13 postings$63.41/ hr$32–$77
Median pay per hour, with the range each employer published or reported in federal filings.
2What they are offering now
Low$43Median$55.64High$71
56 Social Worker postings with published pay in California, 51 of them posted in the last 30 days. Month-by-month history by employer comes with your full report.
3Open now: 56 Social Worker roles
- Senior Social Worker (Acute Mental Health ED)Permanent$115k–$149k/ year
- Social Worker, LCSWPermanent$99k–$143k/ year
+ 54 more in your report. Each one has pay, shift and start date.
I'm interestedOne click. A recruiter writes only after you reply.