SW Salary 2026: $63,810–$135,009 — Social Work (Government of Canada)
Effective Date: 2025-10-01 · Verified 2026-04-26
SW rates of pay for all SW (Social Work) levels in the Canadian federal public service, 2026. Salaries range from $63,810 to $135,009 across 8 levels. Category: Health & Safety. Source: Treasury Board collective agreements.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SW-CHA-1 | $67,062 ~$48K net | $69,675 ~$50K net | $72,277 ~$52K net | $74,892 ~$53K net | $77,506 ~$55K net | $80,211 ~$56K net | $83,010 ~$58K net | — | — |
| SW-CHA-2 | $76,331 ~$54K net | $79,318 ~$56K net | $82,309 ~$58K net | $85,306 ~$59K net | $88,289 ~$61K net | $91,379 ~$63K net | $94,578 ~$65K net | — | — |
| SW-CHA-3 | $89,371 ~$62K net | $92,448 ~$64K net | $95,539 ~$66K net | $98,603 ~$68K net | $101,705 ~$70K net | $104,909 ~$72K net | $108,214 ~$74K net | — | — |
| SW-SCW-1 | $63,810 ~$47K net | $66,388 ~$48K net | $68,975 ~$50K net | $71,556 ~$51K net | $74,140 ~$53K net | $76,724 ~$54K net | $79,309 ~$56K net | $81,982 ~$57K net | $84,745 ~$59K net |
| SW-SCW-2 | $70,460 ~$50K net | $73,322 ~$52K net | $76,189 ~$54K net | $79,053 ~$56K net | $81,915 ~$57K net | $84,778 ~$59K net | $87,746 ~$61K net | $90,817 ~$63K net | — |
| SW-SCW-3 | $78,845 ~$55K net | $82,057 ~$57K net | $85,269 ~$59K net | $88,491 ~$61K net | $91,713 ~$63K net | $94,927 ~$65K net | $98,250 ~$67K net | $101,689 ~$70K net | — |
| SW-SCW-4 | $96,578 ~$66K net | $99,833 ~$68K net | $103,104 ~$71K net | $106,353 ~$73K net | $109,948 ~$75K net | $113,666 ~$77K net | $117,508 ~$79K net | $121,479 ~$82K net | — |
| SW-SCW-5 | $106,827 ~$73K net | $110,791 ~$75K net | $114,760 ~$78K net | $118,729 ~$80K net | $122,697 ~$83K net | $126,668 ~$85K net | $130,772 ~$87K net | $135,009 ~$89K net | — |
Net estimates assume Ontario, no dependents, PSPP Group 2 (post-2013 hire). Use the calculator for your full situation including province, marital status, RRSP, union dues, and pension group.
Select a level for full step breakdown
SW-CHA-1
$67,062 – $83,010
$2,579 – $3,193 biweekly (before deductions)
Rates effective from 2025-10-01 · Last verified 2026-04-26 · methodology
SW-CHA-1 pay raise history (rates from previous collective agreements)
| Effective Date | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | Step 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-01 | $67,062 | $69,675 | $72,277 | $74,892 | $77,506 | $80,211 | $83,010 |
| 2024-10-01 | $65,747 | $68,309 | $70,860 | $73,424 | $75,986 | — | — |
| 2023-10-01 | $64,297 | $66,803 | $69,297 | $71,805 | $74,311 | — | — |
| 2022-10-01 | $62,114 | $64,535 | $66,944 | $69,367 | $71,787 | — | — |
| 2021-10-01 | $59,272 | $61,583 | $63,882 | $66,194 | $68,503 | — | — |
SW – Social Work
$63,810 – $135,009
$2,454 – $5,193 biweekly (before deductions)
8 levels · Salary data from Treasury Board collective agreements
Rates effective from 2025-10-01 · Last verified 2026-04-26 · methodology
About the SW Classification
The SW (Social Work) group covers social workers employed by the federal government, primarily at Veterans Affairs Canada, Correctional Service of Canada, National Defence, and Indigenous Services Canada. SW employees provide clinical social work services including mental health counselling, psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, case management, and community support programming. Federal social workers often work with specialized populations: veterans with PTSD, federal offenders in reintegration, military families, and Indigenous communities.
SW-01 covers entry-level social workers and those completing supervised practice. SW-02 is the primary working level — clinical social workers providing direct services. SW-03 covers senior social workers, clinical supervisors, and program leads. SW-04 and SW-05 are management positions overseeing social work programs. Most SW positions require a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree and registration with a provincial regulatory body, making it one of the more credential-intensive classifications in the public service.
The SW group falls under the Health Services (SH) collective agreement, represented by PSAC. Federal social work positions offer several advantages over provincial/community agency roles: more structured supervision, better benefits, and the defined-benefit pension. However, the work can be emotionally demanding — correctional social workers face high caseloads in institutional settings, and social workers at Veterans Affairs manage complex cases involving trauma, substance abuse, and homelessness among Canada's veteran population.
SW Tools and Related Resources
SW net pay after federal + provincial tax, CPP, EI, PSPP
Compare with other classificationsSide-by-side SW vs AS, EC, IT, FI, PM
SW raise history vs CPICumulative raise vs Statistics Canada inflation
Other Health & Safety classifications
SW salary — frequently asked questions
What is the SW salary range?
The SW (Social Work) salary range is $63,810 to $135,009 per year as of 2025-10-01, across 8 levels (SW-CHA-1, SW-CHA-2, SW-CHA-3, SW-SCW-1, SW-SCW-2, SW-SCW-3, SW-SCW-4, SW-SCW-5). Rates are sourced from publicly published collective agreements.
What does SW stand for in the Government of Canada?
SW is the Treasury Board classification code for Social Work positions in the Government of Canada. It covers 8 levels (SW-CHA-1, SW-CHA-2, SW-CHA-3, SW-SCW-1, SW-SCW-2, SW-SCW-3, SW-SCW-4, SW-SCW-5) reflecting different levels of responsibility and seniority.
How much does a SW-CHA-1 make?
A SW-CHA-1 earns $67,062 (Step 1) to $83,010 (Step 7) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a SW-CHA-2 make?
A SW-CHA-2 earns $76,331 (Step 1) to $94,578 (Step 7) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a SW-CHA-3 make?
A SW-CHA-3 earns $89,371 (Step 1) to $108,214 (Step 7) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a SW-SCW-1 make?
A SW-SCW-1 earns $63,810 (Step 1) to $84,745 (Step 9) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a SW-SCW-2 make?
A SW-SCW-2 earns $70,460 (Step 1) to $90,817 (Step 8) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a SW-SCW-3 make?
A SW-SCW-3 earns $78,845 (Step 1) to $101,689 (Step 8) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a SW-SCW-4 make?
A SW-SCW-4 earns $96,578 (Step 1) to $121,479 (Step 8) per year as of 2025-10-01.
How much does a SW-SCW-5 make?
A SW-SCW-5 earns $106,827 (Step 1) to $135,009 (Step 8) per year as of 2025-10-01. SW-SCW-5 is the senior-most level in the SW group.
When was the SW pay scale last updated?
The current SW pay scale on FedPay.ca is effective 2025-10-01, with a total of 62 pay steps across 8 levels. Data is verified against Treasury Board collective agreements regularly.
What is the SW take-home pay after taxes?
SW take-home pay depends on your level, step, province, and pension group. Use the FedPay.ca take-home pay calculator at fedpay.ca/take-home to see your net pay after federal tax, provincial tax, CPP, EI, and Public Service Pension Plan contributions for any SW level and step.