We discuss a novel method of obtaining the spin of abelian and non-abelian Chem-Simons vortices. This spin is interpreted as the difference between the angular momentum obtained by modifying Schwinger's energy-momentum tensor by the Gauss constraint, and the canonical (Noether) angular momentum. It is found to be a boundary term depending only on the gauge field and, hence, is independent of the matter sector to which the Chem-Simons term couples. Addition of the Maxwell term does not alter the spin.