What are human services?

Human services are related to a broad field involving the objective of meeting human needs through a combination of knowledge and disciplines. They focus on solving problems and maintaining commitments to communities where improving the overall quality of life is a goal. Human services promote improved service delivery systems to these communities by not only improving the quality of their direct services but also by seeking to improve them in terms of accessibility, accountability , and collaboration and coordination between professionals and agencies working together towards this common goal. Human services can be broken down into six main categories: Education Income transfer Housing Health Employment training Social services Many human rights activists work with or for human services organizations. They may seek to reach out to communities within their own country or abroad. An example of a domestic human services organization is YMCAs in metropolitan areas. An example of an international human services organization is the Red Cross.

How To Become A Human Services Worker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a human services worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Virginia Schwindt

For many people in an institutional setting, such as a homeless shelter, addiction counseling center, or senior residence, their institution can feel sterile. Not only does that make for an unpleasant living experience, but that kind of living environment also makes it harder for people to achieve their recovery goals. A human services worker provides a human face to clients and helps them lead happier, more independent lives.

The day-to-day tasks of a human services worker may vary slightly depending on the population they work with, whether they are helping survivors of violence, those in addiction counseling, or others. They can help plan activities, lead group work, or provide individual emotional support to patients in need.

Just as there are many places where a human services worker can work, there are many paths to becoming one. Some human services workers get bachelor's or even master's degrees, but just as many do not. All human services workers need to show compassion and care for their clients, no matter what.

What general advice would you give to a human services worker?

Virginia Schwindt

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.

ScoreHuman Services WorkerUS Average

Salary

2.3

Avg. Salary $29,005

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.06%

Asian 6.90%

Black or African American 13.71%

Hispanic or Latino 16.56%

Unknown 5.09%

White 55.68%

Gender

female 67.46%

male 32.54%

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 human services worker

Explore human services worker education requirements

Most common human services worker degrees

Bachelor's

48.8 %

Associate

17.8 %

High School Diploma

16.4 %

Start to develop specific human services worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Client Orientation	10.71%
Social Work	9.49%
Patients	8.52%
Program Operations	7.47%
Client Supervision	5.80%

Complete relevant human services worker training and internships

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

Research human services worker duties and responsibilities

Respond to and assist in behavioral codes working as a team member to successfully manage patient using methods obtain in CPI training
Perform TPR, BP, and ADL.
Certify in first aid, CPR and Mandt.
Complete training in CPR, restraint and first aid.

Prepare your human services worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your human services worker 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 a human services worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable human services worker resume templates

Build a professional human services worker 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 human services worker resume.

Apply for human services worker jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a human services worker 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

How do human services workers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Human services worker reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024

Cons

Stressful, dangerous neighborhoods, sometimes parents are dangerous as well. Work life balance isn't good. Documentation is very time consuming and you will bring that home to finish. If your agency requires that you do your app recorded time sheets then that will prove ardously time consuming constaint that cuts right into your work/home life balance...it's terrible. Wear and tear on your car, no shows from parents upsetting children and paid mileage is horrible. Get ready to barely have a life.

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Pros

Helping others

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019