How to hire a case worker

How to hire a case worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step case worker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a case worker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new case worker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a case worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a case worker, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A case worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, case workers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents case worker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Case Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Case Worker	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$14-26
   Advocate	An advocate is a voice for the voiceless. It is their responsibility to speak on behalf of an individual or a particular cause... Show more	$12-27
   Community Support Worker	A community support worker works with different social groups to provide physical, emotional, and emotional support to clients. Community support workers primarily aim to care for and support people with mental and/or physical restrictions or disabilities... Show more	$11-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Patients
   • Substance Abuse
   • Community Resources
   • Child Abuse
   • Customer Service
   • Foster Care
   • Intake Assessments
   • Medicaid
   • Mental Illness
   • Public Assistance
   • Mental Health
   • Support Services

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Establish collaborative relationships with patients within a supportive atmosphere to assist in confronting drug relate behavior and achieving sobriety.
   • Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
   • File, close and maintain records in either physical case file or on ETO.
   • Train new employees and assign tasks in driving and all responsibilities in DCS documentations.
   • Provide weekly face to face updates to youth and telephonic updates to family members/sponsor with documentation find in ETO.
   • Facilitate DCS court order supervised visitation during the reunification process.

   More case worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your case worker job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A case worker salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a case worker in Louisiana may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level case worker usually earns less than a senior-level case worker. Additionally, a case worker with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average case worker salary

   $41,459yearly

   $19.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level case worker salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average case worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$51,521	$25
   2	Colorado	$44,716	$22
   3	California	$44,447	$21
   4	Washington	$43,282	$21
   5	Texas	$42,218	$20
   6	Kansas	$41,953	$20
   7	Pennsylvania	$41,629	$20
   8	North Carolina	$40,048	$19
   9	South Carolina	$39,993	$19
   10	Massachusetts	$39,100	$19
   11	Illinois	$39,061	$19
   12	Rhode Island	$38,568	$19
   13	Ohio	$36,415	$18
   14	Michigan	$36,269	$17
   15	Utah	$36,090	$17
   16	Alabama	$34,273	$16
   17	Missouri	$33,811	$16
   18	Florida	$32,673	$16

   Average case worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Appalachian Regional Healthcare	$53,369	$25.66	1
   2	UMiami Health System	$52,539	$25.26	1
   3	Miriam Hospital	$51,866	$24.94
   4	Symmetry Financial Group	$50,335	$24.20
   5	Dairy Farmers of America	$48,376	$23.26	13
   6	UMass Memorial Health	$47,842	$23.00	37
   7	City and County of Denver Government	$43,884	$21.10	1
   8	Medical Billing	$43,443	$20.89
   9	Access International, Inc.	$43,385	$20.86	24
   10	Baylor College of Medicine	$43,307	$20.82
   11	CTG	$43,236	$20.79
   12	Catholic Charities Health and Human Services	$43,056	$20.70
   13	InterFaith Works of Central New York	$42,491	$20.43
   14	International Rescue Committee	$42,434	$20.40
   15	University of North Texas	$42,218	$20.30
   16	Bleuler Psychotherapy Center, Inc.	$42,009	$20.20
   17	Northside Hospital	$41,896	$20.14	43
   18	Pathways LA	$41,635	$20.02
   19	Urban League of Rochester	$41,000	$19.71	2
   20	Lifespan	$40,976	$19.70	1

4. Writing a case worker job description

   A job description for a case worker role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a case worker job description:

   Case worker job description example

   Help the most vulnerable.
   
   We Shelter, We Support, We Guide, and We Care for the most vulnerable in our communities.
   
   Some people can't imagine doing what we do. We can't imagine not doing it. At Volunteers of America of Florida, we are more than a non-profit organization. We are a ministry of service with a shared vision of a world where all people live in safety with social, emotional and physical wellbeing, spiritual fulfillment, justice and hope. Volunteers of America has been serving those most in need across the nation since 1896 and in Florida since the 1920's. Join our dedicated and talented team of employees in 18 Florida cities and make a personal and fulfilling contribution to the people we serve.
   
   Our commitment:
   
   * Results- oriented organization, driven by our mission to "engage Floridians in need to create positive life changes through compassionate support services".
   * Live by our Core Values: Love God and One Another, Servant Leaders, Diversity of Thought, Wellness, Resilience, Quality Practices, Accountable, Integrity, Fun, and Family Oriented.
   * Proud to offer many Benefits to eligible employees including: Generous vacation and sick time, 11 Paid Holidays, Robust Wellness Plan with generous cash incentives, Pet Insurance, 83% Employer paid-based dental plan with option for buy-up plans, AFLAC Plans-Accident, Cancer with options, 100% Employer-paid Life Insurance/ADD, 100% Employer-paid Long and Short-Term Disability, H.S.A. (Health Saving Account) - High Deductible Plan, FSA (Flexible Spending Account), 403(B) retirement plan options with match, Voluntary Benefit Programs including Vision and Life/ADD Insurance (employee, spouse and dependent children), EAP - Employee Assistance Program, FMLA Tuition Reimbursement, Student Loan Forgiveness, ReST - Free Online Resiliency Program.
   
   Are you ready to make a difference:
   
   * The Case Worker Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) advocates and assists in providing solutions and support services to enable their assigned caseload to function as independently as possible.
   * Bachelor's degree or High School diploma and 4 years experience working with at-risk adult population.
   *
   
   Help us realize our vision as we "strive to provide premier human services and experiences with superior results for individuals and families in need".
   
   Don't wait. Apply today.
   
   Hourly payrate $15.00 to $16.42 depending on level of education
   
   It is the policy of Volunteers of America of Florida, as an Equal Opportunity Employer, to recruit, hire and promote to all job classifications without regard to race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or any other protected class.
   
   We are a drug-free workplace.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find case workers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any case workers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level case workers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your case worker job on Zippia to find and recruit case worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting case workers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new case worker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the case worker position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new case worker first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a case worker?