Child welfare worker demographics and statistics in the US
Child welfare worker demographics research summary. Zippia estimates child welfare worker demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our child welfare worker estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about child welfare workers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,049 child welfare workers currently employed in the United States.
- 78.7% of all child welfare workers are women, while 21.3% are men.
- The average child welfare worker age is 42 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of child welfare workers is White (63.1%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (15.1%), Black or African American (13.4%) and Unknown (4.2%).
- In 2022, women earned 101% of what men earned.
- 10% of all child welfare workers are LGBT.
- Child welfare workers are 57% more likely to work at government companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Child welfare worker demographics by:
Child welfare worker gender statistics
78.7% of child welfare workers are women and 21.3% of child welfare workers are men.
- Female, 78.7%
- Male, 21.3%
Child welfare worker gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 78.7% |
| Male | 21.3% |
Child welfare worker gender pay gap
Women earn $1.01 for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$43,715
Female income
$44,197
Child welfare worker gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in child welfare worker positions over time. Currently, 78.7% of child welfare workers are female.
Child welfare worker gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 26.75% | 73.25% |
| 2011 | 25.76% | 74.24% |
| 2012 | 25.70% | 74.30% |
| 2013 | 24.84% | 75.16% |
| 2014 | 26.01% | 73.99% |
| 2015 | 25.72% | 74.28% |
| 2016 | 26.06% | 73.94% |
| 2017 | 25.55% | 74.45% |
| 2018 | 24.69% | 75.31% |
| 2019 | 24.29% | 75.71% |
| 2020 | 21.95% | 78.05% |
| 2021 | 21.32% | 78.68% |
Child welfare worker related jobs gender ratio
We compared child welfare workers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, public health worker and rehabilitation engineer have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Breastfeeding Educator | 2% | 98% |
| Certified Lactation Counselor | 3% | 97% |
| Lactation Specialist | 5% | 95% |
| Child Welfare Worker | 21% | 79% |
| Donation Worker | 70% | 30% |
| Rehabilitation Engineer | 70% | 30% |
| Public Health Worker | 81% | 19% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Child welfare worker demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among child welfare workers is White, which makes up 63.1% of all child welfare workers. Comparatively, 15.1% of child welfare workers are Hispanic or Latino and 13.4% of child welfare workers are Black or African American.
- White, 63.1%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.1%
- Black or African American, 13.4%
- Unknown, 4.2%
- Asian, 2.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
Child welfare worker race
| Child welfare worker race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 63.1% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.1% |
| Black or African American | 13.4% |
| Unknown | 4.2% |
| Asian | 2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.5% |
Child welfare worker race and ethnicity over time
See how child welfare worker racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Child welfare worker race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.83% | 17.57% | 2.59% | 10.00% |
| 2011 | 65.42% | 18.60% | 3.01% | 10.04% |
| 2012 | 65.75% | 17.96% | 2.81% | 10.36% |
| 2013 | 65.67% | 17.74% | 2.90% | 10.11% |
| 2014 | 65.32% | 17.27% | 3.07% | 11.30% |
| 2015 | 65.17% | 17.67% | 2.89% | 11.38% |
| 2016 | 64.92% | 17.21% | 3.27% | 11.88% |
| 2017 | 65.28% | 15.66% | 3.37% | 12.35% |
| 2018 | 64.71% | 18.85% | 2.11% | 11.31% |
| 2019 | 65.91% | 17.78% | 2.01% | 9.63% |
| 2020 | 61.48% | 15.43% | 2.92% | 14.22% |
| 2021 | 63.14% | 13.37% | 2.67% | 15.12% |
Child welfare worker wage gap by race
According to our data, hispanic or latino child welfare workers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american child welfare workers have the lowest average salary at $40,343.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $44,006 |
| White | $41,415 |
| Black or African American | $40,343 |
| Asian | $46,534 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $46,659 |
Average child welfare worker age
See how the average age of child welfare workers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Child welfare worker age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 40 | |
| White | 39.5 | 41 |
| Black or African American | 48 | |
| Asian | 41 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 43 |
Child welfare worker age breakdown
The average age of child welfare workers is 40+ years years old, representing 57% of the child welfare worker population.
Child welfare worker age breakdown
| Child Welfare Worker Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 57% |
| 30-40 years | 26% |
| 20-30 years | 17% |
Child welfare worker educational attainment
The most common degree for child welfare workers is bachelor's degree, with 58% of child welfare workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 34% and master's degree degree at 5%.
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Master's, 34%
- Associate, 5%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Child welfare workers by degree level
| Child welfare worker degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 58% |
| Master's | 34% |
| Associate | 5% |
| Diploma | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Child welfare worker jobs you might like
Child welfare worker wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,034 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,922 |
Child welfare worker employment statistics
Most child welfare workers work for a government in the government industry.
Company size where child welfare workers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where child welfare workers work.
Child welfare worker jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 10% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 23% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 35% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 17% |
| > 10,000 employees | 3% |
Child welfare worker jobs by company type
Employees with the child welfare worker job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most child welfare workers prefer to work at government companies over private companies.
Child welfare worker jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 8% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 33% |
| Government | 57% |
Child welfare worker jobs by industry
The most common industries for child welfare workers are government, health care and professional.
Child welfare worker industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 44% |
| Health Care | 16% |
| Professional | 15% |
| Non Profits | 6% |
| Education | 6% |
| Hospitality | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
Child welfare worker turnover and employment statistics
Child welfare worker unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for child welfare workers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Child welfare worker unemployment rate by year
| Year | Child welfare worker unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.89% |
| 2011 | 4.68% |
| 2012 | 4.85% |
| 2013 | 3.77% |
| 2014 | 2.89% |
| 2015 | 2.27% |
| 2016 | 2.28% |
| 2017 | 1.90% |
| 2018 | 2.12% |
| 2019 | 1.07% |
| 2020 | 1.73% |
| 2021 | 1.89% |
Average child welfare worker tenure
The average child welfare worker stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 396 child welfare workers resumes in Zippia's database.
Child welfare worker tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 23% |
| 1-2 years | 35% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 9% |
Child welfare worker LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of child welfare workers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Counselor | 8.96% | 83,305 |
| Deputy Probation Officer | 9.50% | 57,433 |
| Child Welfare Worker | 10.37% | - |
| Monk | 11.25% | 46 |
| Welfare Aide | 11.48% | 40,588 |
| Bereavement Counselor | 15.06% | 29,323 |
| Mental Health Case Manager | 15.06% | 128,509 |
Similar child welfare worker jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher Counselor | 8.96% | 83,305 |
| Deputy Probation Officer | 9.50% | 57,433 |
| Monk | 11.25% | 46 |
| Welfare Aide | 11.48% | 40,588 |
| Bereavement Counselor | 15.06% | 29,323 |
| Mental Health Case Manager | 15.06% | 128,509 |
Foreign languages spoken by child welfare workers
The most common foreign language among child welfare workers is Spanish at 63.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Mandarin at 9.1% and Samoan is the third-most popular at 9.1%.
- Spanish, 63.6%
- Mandarin, 9.1%
- Samoan, 9.1%
- Chinese, 9.1%
- Italian, 9.1%
Child welfare worker languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 63.6% |
| Mandarin | 9.1% |
| Samoan | 9.1% |
| Chinese | 9.1% |
| Italian | 9.1% |
