PA salary survey shows pay, benefit trends in child welfare workforce

By Danielle Smith – Producer 

Feb 6, 2026

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New research gave a detailed breakdown of the state of Pennsylvania’s child services workforce.

The 2026 Compensation and Benefits Study from the Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth and Family Services analyzed salaries, paid time off and benefits across 31 agencies and more than 50 job categories statewide.

One of the primary challenges among agencies is employee turnover. Around half of agencies said they experienced increased turnover in at least one program category in the last year.

Kathleen Trimble, interim CEO of the family services nonprofit Pinebrook Family Answers in Allentown, said the industry has trouble matching the starting wages workers can make at big retailers. However, she added workers often come back.

“We also have what we call the boomerang effect,” Trimble explained. “We have people that have left for greener pastures and have realized that the grass is not always greener because of everything else we offer. So it’s not just about the salary. It’s the environment, it’s the benefits, it’s the time off.”

About a third of agencies offered sign‑on bonuses to attract new hires in 2024, with the typical payout somewhere around $1,000.

Trimble noted agencies are already working to set fair rates for key services like foster care, county‑funded youth programs and behavioral health supports. She stressed because of recruitment and retention challenges, Pinebrook strives to keep salaries competitive.

“We’ve always had an enhanced benefit package,” Trimble emphasized. “Which I think is very strong as compared to, say, other agencies, just in terms of vacation, sick days. Our deductible for our medical insurance is only $1,000.”

Trimble added the survey showed most agencies have a 40-hour workweek, whereas Pinebrook has a 37.5-hour workweek. Among those surveyed, 17% have taken steps to reduce the total hours of the workweek. She acknowledged salaries can vary based on location.

“As you’re using the salary survey, you can’t just look at the salaries, because you have to kind of look at what region were they in,” Trimble underscored. “Salaries in Philadelphia are going to be different than the Lehigh Valley.”

The report showed nearly all agencies have made more aggressive salary and benefits offers and made changes in the ways they recruit new staff. Some of the agencies are offering longevity and referral bonuses in addition to sign-on payouts.

Read the article here.