How To Become An Employment Service Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an employment service specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Raina Gandhi

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an employment service specialist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.0 an hour? That's $39,514 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 12% and produce 52,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an employment service specialist?

Raina Gandhi

Assistant Dean of Career Services, American University

First impressions matter and will stay with you, so remember to bring your most professional self to work, maintain a positive attitude, and put in the hours. When you make mistakes, learn from them.

Also, take the time to get to know your colleagues and workplace norms, make sure you understand how performance is measured, and don't be afraid to ask for feedback. As you get comfortable with your role, look for ways to take on additional responsibilities to expand your skillset and build your reputation within the company.

You may not land your dream job right away, but this first job is critical for building your experience and gaining transferrable skills. Stay current in your field by reading articles, subscribing to email newsletters, and following relevant people and companies on LinkedIn

ScoreEmployment Service SpecialistUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,514

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.17%

Asian 6.39%

Black or African American 12.43%

Hispanic or Latino 19.67%

Unknown 5.18%

White 54.16%

Gender

female 69.42%

male 30.58%

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 an employment service specialist

Explore employment service specialist education requirements

Most common employment service specialist degrees

Bachelor's

62.1 %

Associate

16.3 %

Master's

12.3 %

Start to develop specific employment service specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Rehabilitation	20.54%
Employment Services	11.50%
Mental Health	10.82%
Developmental Disabilities	8.54%
Vocational Rehabilitation	5.86%

Complete relevant employment service specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New employment service specialists 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 an employment service specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real employment service specialist resumes.

Research employment service specialist duties and responsibilities

Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.
Issue supportive service grants for childcare, education and transportation for TANF clients.
Assist in the auditing of TANF recipient records from a local contract holding agency.
Lead advocacy efforts to increase employment opportunities for veterans by contacting hiring executives and encourage the hiring of disable veterans.

Prepare your employment service specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your employment service specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an employment service specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable employment service specialist resume templates

Build a professional employment service specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your employment service specialist resume.

Apply for employment service specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an employment service specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average employment service specialist salary

The average employment service specialist salary in the United States is $39,514 per year or $19 per hour. Employment service specialist salaries range between $30,000 and $50,000 per year.

Average employment service specialist salary

$39,514 Yearly

$19.00 hourly

What is an employment service specialist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to an employment service specialist?

Employment service specialist career paths

Key steps to become an employment service specialist

Explore employment service specialist education requirements

Most common employment service specialist degrees

Start to develop specific employment service specialist skills

Complete relevant employment service specialist training and internships

Research employment service specialist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your employment service specialist resume

Choose from 10+ customizable employment service specialist resume templates

Apply for employment service specialist jobs

How did you land your first employment service specialist job

Average employment service specialist salary

How do employment service specialists rate their job?