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Job outlook for family service caseworkers in the United States
Are family service caseworker jobs in demand?
Family service caseworker job and salary trends over time
Family service caseworker jobs over time
Family service caseworker job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,923 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 2,820 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 2,817 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 2,752 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 2,633 | 0.00% |
Average family service caseworker salary over time
Family service caseworker salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $49,645 | $23.87 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | $48,579 | $23.36 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $47,430 | $22.80 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | $45,493 | $21.87 | +2.6% |
| 2022 | $44,335 | $21.31 | +2.1% |
Family service caseworker jobs by state
Most common states for family service caseworkers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,012 | 29% |
| 2 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 277 | 21% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 157 | 21% |
| 4 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 104 | 15% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,040 | 14% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 844 | 14% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 685 | 12% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 648 | 12% |
| 9 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 426 | 12% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 167 | 12% |
| 11 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 127 | 12% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 125 | 12% |
| 13 | Vermont | 623,657 | 75 | 12% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 738 | 11% |
| 15 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 438 | 11% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 209 | 11% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 80 | 11% |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,312 | 10% |
| 19 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 316 | 10% |
| 20 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 88 | 10% |
Most common cities for family service caseworkers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Springs | 5 | 1% | $53,743 |
| 2 | Des Moines | 1 | 0% | $49,573 |
| 3 | Tucson | 1 | 0% | $42,792 |
Family Service Caseworker job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of family service caseworker experts
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Ohio University
Colorado State University - Pueblo
College of Saint Scholastica
Metropolitan State University
University of Indianapolis
Campbellsville University
Pennsylvania State University
Siena College
Nebraska Christian College
Kennesaw State University
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Emily McCave PhD, MSW, LCSW: For clinical positions, which is what most social workers do, daily tasks typically include conducting assessments and providing individual, family, and/or group therapy to children and/or adults, while collaborating with other providers working with the client. There is also daily clinical documentation that needs to be completed.
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorOhio State University
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.: The best way to maximize your salary potential is to do your homework. Start with self-awareness. What can and will you be able to contribute to the organization that will help the organization achieve their goals. Be able to “sell” your strengths, fit with the position, and areas for future growth. It is important to have realistic salary expectations while also sharpen your negotiation skills. Research to find out what are people in similar positions making in your community.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.: My advice to HDFS graduates beginning their careers is to seek out opportunities that align with your passions and will allow you to utilize your academic knowledge and skills to help children and families in meaningful ways.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.: In the next 3-5 years, technology, diversity and inclusion, and problem-solving skills will become more important in the field of HDFS. The helping professions will play an important role as technology continues to reshape human daily life and social interactions.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
L. Justin Wheeler: One of the best ways to improve skills, continue to learn, and access support is to work as part of a team – take advantage of opportunities for group supervision, peer consultation, and interprofessional collaboration.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Timmesha Butler-Davis PhD, LCSW: Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of social work is its capacity for significant impact. Whether it's guiding someone through coping mechanisms in therapy or fostering empathy within marginalized communities, social workers play a pivotal role in effecting positive change. However, it's worth noting that the extensive documentation and writing required in this field are often perceived as less favorable aspects.
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Jennifer Shadik: Social work can be a challenging profession. We are often helping people who have experienced trauma or are going through extremely difficult situations. We are there to help them navigate these challenges, while building on their strengths and resources. Helping people through these challenging circumstances and seeing them grow and change is very rewarding. Building relationships with people, helping them learn new knowledge and skills, and advocating for social and economic justice are gratifying aspects of being a social worker.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Jennifer Shadik: Social workers are involved in helping individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities in a variety of ways. Depending on the specific job, they may provide education, mediate conflict, connect individuals and families to resources, provide therapeutic intervention, and/or develop policies to help at an individual or national level.
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Pamela Richmond Ph.D.: Challenges social workers can face are high caseloads, not enough resources to assist clients and exposure to horrific aspects of humanity. Social workers enjoy being a part of the change process by recognizing the strengths and resiliency of individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. Workers advocate for individuals that are marginalized and oppressed, ensuring they have a voice. They enjoy looking at solutions to problems and empowering others to make changes beneficial for their lives.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Pamela Richmond Ph.D.: Social workers are trained to understand and intervene on three levels—micro (individuals and families), mezzo (formal groups and organizations) and macro (community and the broader society). Given the challenges currently taking place nationally and internationally such as poverty, immigration, abortion controversy, societal racism/discrimination and the war in the middle east, social workers are trained to intervene and advocate for change on a variety of system levels.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Michele Sneed DSW, LGSW: The profession of social work is experiencing a remarkable surge in employment opportunities, with projections indicating above-average growth. This combined with the profession's flexibility, competitive wages, and sense of fulfillment makes social work a wonderful career path.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Monica Bies: An ability to incorporate anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices and policies that advance equity in all settings in which we live and work.
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Lynell Cooper MSW, LCSW: Learn to negotiate effectively for salaries and consulting fees. Understanding your value and being able to articulate it convincingly can significantly impact your income.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lynell Cooper MSW, LCSW: Being empathetic will enhance your ability to connect with clients, while resilience will help you manage emotional stress effectively. Fostering a lens of cultural humility will serve as a conduit to success and effectiveness.
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW
Associate Professor of Social WorkCampbellsville University
Social Work
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW: Social Work is a very large field; therefore, the practice of Social Work varies greatly depending on which field you enter. Overall, nearly all areas of Social Work include working with individuals who are facing some form of crisis or life challenge. Social Workers work to assist in providing education, assistance and most importantly empowerment. Social Workers are trained professionals who work from a set of ethics that govern their professional standards to respect, empathize and value all individuals. Most all Social Workers enter the professional because they feel called to assist and make a difference in the life of others.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW: The best thing about being a Social Worker is the ability to serve, assist and empower other individuals who are facing challenges within their life. Although this can be very overwhelming, at times the rewards this can provide, and self-fulfillment is hard to put into words. One of the greatest challenges of Social Work is maintaining adequate self-care and knowing that you can impact or help all individuals. This can be extremely challenging and overwhelming, particularly for new workers. One must ensure that they have adequate supervision, education, and resources to protect their wellbeing or burnout is highly likely.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW: Social Workers are needed everywhere as there are always people in crisis. Currently, child protection workers are desperately needed. In this field of practice Social Workers work directly with children and families that are impacted by child maltreatment issues to keep families together. There is a misconception that child protective workers strive to remove children, and this is untrue. Their mission is to work tirelessly to keep children in their homes safely and remove risk factors while highlighting their protective factors. Additionally, in this field of Social Work foster parents are trained, certified, and mentored to ensure that foster children receive adequate care when biological or relative care is not possible.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. J. Lendrum PhD: It will become increasingly important to use non-violent communication skills and empathy that you practiced and developed in your academic programs. As the world becomes more diverse, tapping into the cultural competency skills will also become increasingly useful.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Dr. J. Lendrum PhD: Trust yourself and follow your passions. It is possible to find a meaningful career that aligns with your core interests and values.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
James Andrews LCSW, LICSW, BCD: Completing the MSW and graduating as a professional social worker is exciting and can be overwhelming. There are some general areas of professional development that I would strongly recommend new social workers entering the workforce focus on addressing. The first (and in many ways perhaps the most important) is to actively network. Connect with peers and mentors by building and maintaining professional relationships through joining professional organizations and attending industry events such as conferences and other professional events. Join your state chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and become active; don’t just pay your dues every year. Contact the chapter office and volunteer for a committee and run for a volunteer leadership position. Get involved! Next, be adaptable! If the social service field is characterized by any one quality, it is change. Cultivating the ability to grow, adapt to new technologies, methodologies, and work environments will be crucial to one’s career success. Not only does the quality of flexibility makes one a valuable employee and prepares you for unexpected challenges and opportunities, but it is also a central trait needed for those who desire to open their own clinical practices one day. Related to adaptability is the practice of continuous learning. Social work and the larger industry of social services ever evolving, so it is imperative that new graduates embrace the idea that even though they have graduated, they must always be students, ever learning and developing new skills. This involves a commitment to lifelong learning which involves pursuing certifications, workshops attendance, and staying updated with the latest industry trends and technologies through independent reading and research. This not only keeps your skills relevant but also demonstrates your commitment to professional growth. And finally, and too often ignored, is the importance of developing and cultivating what are called “soft skills”. Skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management a(and others) are essential. For the successful social worker. Such soft skills complement one’s technical abilities and are highly valued by employers. And in many ways are what will enable a person to advance in their career.
Elisa Martin Ph.D., MSW
Associate Professor of Social Work, Department Chair & Program DirectorSiena College
Social Sciences
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Elisa Martin Ph.D., MSW: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the need for social workers will grow faster than many other professions, which means finding employment upon graduation will not be a problem.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Dexter Voisin: I think there is a lot of misinformation about what is social work. Many persons have a very narrow view of social workers that they remove children from homes as “baby snatchers” or work with income assistance. However, social work is much broader than these roles.
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Cynthia Peters MSW: When people hear the word social worker, they immediately think about the folks that take children from their families due to some report of abuse. They have a tendency to immediately not like what they think is social work. Social Work is so much more than working for DCS. What I like about Social Work is that there are so many jobs/careers you can walk into and utilize the skill you learned about the profession. Your job title does not need to be Social Worker. I know a social worker that is the Director of Public Works; Recreation Coordinator; Minister; Assistant to in the Governor's Office; Victim Advocate; Management Assistant; Council person; Governor; Senator. The sky is the limit to what career or job a social worker can do.
Christine Kiewra
Associate Professor of PracticeNebraska Christian College
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Christine Kiewra: The HDFS program is a flexible degree that offers the “human” element that is necessary but often missing from pre-health and pre-law tracks. The flexibility also allows for students to double major and broaden their learning outcomes.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Christine Kiewra: Human Development Specialists have many options including specializing in working with young children, families, and elderly clients. Specialists can pursue working in large or small businesses, non-profit agencies, education, or government agencies.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Cindy Snell: Your first job out of school is not often your “dream job”. Consider it as an important step in your career journey. Evaluate job offers holistically, including salary & benefits, skill building, moving towards advanced licensure, good supervision and office culture. There are many ways to contribute to the field of social work. You will find your way on the way. Create a support network. This can include friends to have fun with, social work classmates to form a peer advising group, a mentor to help you chart your career path. Create your self-care strategy and stick with it. Bring joy, reduce stress, step away. Use continuing education requirements to advance your career.
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Cindy Snell: Working effectively with diverse populations. This includes knowing your own biases, speaking another language, and continually striving for cultural competence. Openness to learning/integrating new technologies and careful consideration of their impact on the services you provide clients. These could include telehealth, record keeping, and the use of AI. Advocacy. Social workers need to advocate for their clients but also for policies that affect their clients and the field of social work. Social workers also need to remember to advocate for themselves and know this is not selfish but often allows them to be more effective social workers.
What general advice would you give to a Family Service Caseworker?
Camille Coleman: Do your research within the state and or country, and or agency you are seeking potential employment. Look up the laws, compare them to other states, don't be afraid to look at all careers within the social work field, for example research in social work gets overlooked, facilitation, curriculum development, etc. Future social workers should seek reciprocity in multiple states to practice counseling services after obtaining one's licensure, if wanting to provide therapeutic services. This will give one leverage to negotiate higher salary requests.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Andrew Schoolnik: Dialogue and compromise. There are many apparatuses in today's society which are designed to pull people apart. Cable news and online news sites are famous examples of this. Add to this the echo chambers of social media where people largely associate with like-minded people while looking negatively at those with a different world view. This silo-ing of society is the antithesis of dialogue and compromise. Instead, it creates a class system of those who agree (the favored class) and those who disagree (the unfavored class).
On a macro level, the more the social worker dialogues with all stakeholders (those in favor and those opposed) the more that person gains knowledge and goodwill. This is at the heart of compromise - winning being defined as doing the most good for the most people.
On a clinical level, social workers work mutually with their clients. Learning about a client's values begins with dialogue (even when our values are different) and creating treatment plans is often-based on compromise (agency policy/goals, and client goals).
What will help Family Service Caseworkers increase their earning potential?
Andrew Schoolnik: Education does not end with graduation but instead continues in one's first several years of social work practice (and ideally for a lifetime); therefore, it is very important to find employment with an excellent supervisor. Whether doing formal weekly supervision, or just having an ear to share ideas and gain support, having a supervisor who is knowledgeable, available, and caring is critical to the success of a newly-graduated social worker.
What Family Service Caseworker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Alexis Henderson M.S., OTR/L, CLT, OCC: Never take the first salary offer but also do not get hung up on salary right out of the gate. Remember that helping professions are about more than money. Take every single continuing education and training opportunity that comes your way or that you can find. Training and becoming a master at your craft is how you increase your salary most productively!