Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Healthcare Social Workers are hardest to fill
Healthcare Social Workers is tightest in San Jose, CA: score 6.7, pay about $107.2K.
If the search is Healthcare Social Workers, San Jose, CA is the metro to brief: score 6.7 (elevated), pay about $107.2K, 58% above the national median.
San Jose has about a third fewer of these workers than a typical metro for Healthcare Social Workers, and density is 0.677 jobs per 1,000.
After San Jose, the Healthcare Social Workers list still includes Detroit, MI at 6.2, elevated band.
December 2025 put all-industry openings in California at 3.6 for Healthcare Social Workers.
The national figure was 4.0.
For Healthcare Social Workers, California came in under.
Each metro
1San Jose, CA
- Score
- 6.7
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.56
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.677
- Metro median
- $107,170
- Pay ratio
- 1.58
2Sacramento, CA
- Score
- 6.5
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.79
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.952
- Metro median
- $97,070
- Pay ratio
- 1.43
3Washington, DC
- Score
- 6.5
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.58
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.706
- Metro median
- $80,710
- Pay ratio
- 1.19
4Riverside, CA
- Score
- 6.4
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.834
- Metro median
- $85,360
- Pay ratio
- 1.26
5San Francisco, CA
- Score
- 6.4
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.96
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.155
- Metro median
- $99,640
- Pay ratio
- 1.47
6Portland, OR
- Score
- 6.4
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 1.00
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.205
- Metro median
- $85,790
- Pay ratio
- 1.26
7Urban Honolulu, HI
- Score
- 6.3
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.96
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.164
- Metro median
- $86,970
- Pay ratio
- 1.28
8Minneapolis, MN
- Score
- 6.3
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.833
- Metro median
- $73,970
- Pay ratio
- 1.09
9San Diego, CA
- Score
- 6.3
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.77
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.934
- Metro median
- $82,630
- Pay ratio
- 1.22
10Detroit, MI
- Score
- 6.2
- Band
- Elevated
- Location quotient
- 0.81
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.976
- Metro median
- $73,600
- Pay ratio
- 1.08
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 6.7 | Elevated | 0.56 | 0.677 | $107,170 | 1.58 |
| 2 | Sacramento, CA | 6.5 | Elevated | 0.79 | 0.952 | $97,070 | 1.43 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | 6.5 | Elevated | 0.58 | 0.706 | $80,710 | 1.19 |
| 4 | Riverside, CA | 6.4 | Elevated | 0.69 | 0.834 | $85,360 | 1.26 |
| 5 | San Francisco, CA | 6.4 | Elevated | 0.96 | 1.155 | $99,640 | 1.47 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | 6.4 | Elevated | 1.00 | 1.205 | $85,790 | 1.26 |
| 7 | Urban Honolulu, HI | 6.3 | Elevated | 0.96 | 1.164 | $86,970 | 1.28 |
| 8 | Minneapolis, MN | 6.3 | Elevated | 0.69 | 0.833 | $73,970 | 1.09 |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | 6.3 | Elevated | 0.77 | 0.934 | $82,630 | 1.22 |
| 10 | Detroit, MI | 6.2 | Elevated | 0.81 | 0.976 | $73,600 | 1.08 |
Takeaways
- Put Healthcare Social Workers in San Jose on the intake at a score of 6.7.
- San Jose has about a third fewer of these workers than a typical metro for Healthcare Social Workers.
- The Healthcare Social Workers median in San Jose is about $107.2K.
- The final scored metro is Detroit, MI, at 6.2.
For recruiters
- Staff San Jose, CA before the other metros.
- Keep the bottom metro as a comparison.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Healthcare Social Workers (21-1022) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $107,170 is stated as about $107.2K. a comparison of 1.58 is stated as 58 percent. $67,880 is stated as about $67.9K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
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