How To Become A Community Support Worker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a community support worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.

Community support workers work with vulnerable people within a community and provide them with the resources they need in order to survive. They can work for mental health programs, nonprofits, or other organizations working with groups in need, such as people with mental illnesses or people with disabilities.

Community support workers can provide mental and emotional support to the people they serve by leading support groups or one-on-one counseling appointments. They also help the client find a community that will support them by educating their friends and family on how to support them best and connecting them with other resources. Community support workers also need to be trained in first aid and be prepared to intervene in case of a medical emergency.

While it is possible to become a community support worker with only a high school diploma, most have a bachelor's or even a master's degree in psychology, social work, or a related field. It also helps to have some practical experience in community-based services, for example through an internship. Although community support workers only earn an average salary of $30,087 a year, for many the joy of helping vulnerable people makes the work worth it.

What general advice would you give to a Community Support Worker?

Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.

Associate Dean, University of Nevada - Reno

A master's degree in social work maximizes the potential of social workers salaries and their level of expertise to provide needed services. Programs offered by CSWE accredited programs like the University of Nevada Reno, School of Social Work can maximize the potential of a social worker's career.

ScoreCommunity Support WorkerUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,486

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.9

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.76%

Asian 6.72%

Black or African American 14.63%

Hispanic or Latino 14.98%

Unknown 4.80%

White 57.11%

Gender

female 71.98%

male 28.02%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.1

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a community support worker

Explore community support worker education requirements

Most common community support worker degrees

Bachelor's

66.9 %

Master's

13.1 %

Associate

10.9 %

Start to develop specific community support worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Crisis Intervention	9.19%
Community Resources	8.65%
Social Work	8.35%
CPR	7.50%
Patients	6.76%

Complete relevant community support worker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New community support workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a community support worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real community support worker resumes.

Research community support worker duties and responsibilities

Key staff person, charge with rehabilitation and environmental support essential to assist a consumer in achieving rehabilitation and recovery goals.
Promote recovery, rehabilitation and resiliency through goals and skill development in independent living, psycho-educational learning, socializing and recreation.
Key staff person, charge with rehabilitation and environmental support essential to assist a consumer in achieving rehabilitation and recovery goals.
Document progress and communicate to MHMR case manager.

Prepare your community support worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your community support worker resume.

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