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How to hire a human services worker

Human services worker hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring human services workers in the United States:

  • The median cost to hire a human services worker is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
  • Small businesses spend $1,105 per human services worker on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • There are a total of 4,575 human services workers in the US, and there are currently 179,257 job openings in this field.
  • Provo, UT, has the highest demand for human services workers, with 11 job openings.

How to hire a human services worker, step by step

To hire a human services worker, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a human services worker, you should follow these steps:

Here's a step-by-step human services worker hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a human services worker job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new human services worker
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a human services worker do?

A human services worker provides various services that will improve their clients' lives. These include evaluating the needs of their clients, creating the right treatment plan, and executing the plan. As a human services worker, you will regularly provide clients emotional support and maintain a good relationship with them. You need to make sure they feel comfortable talking about their problems with you. Additionally, you will also coordinate with other service providers and assist clients with researching different types of assistance and eligibility requirements.

Learn more about the specifics of what a human services worker does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you start hiring a human services worker, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A human services worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, human services workers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of human services workers.

    Type of Human Services WorkerDescriptionHourly rate
    Human Services WorkerSocial and human service assistants provide client services, including support for families, in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, and social work. They assist other workers, such as social workers, and they help clients find benefits or community services.$8-22
    LiaisonA liaison is a middle person responsible for collaborating different institutes, managing professional relationships to create benefiting results that would help a business' meet its goals and objectives. Duties of a liaison include facilitating communications, establishing partnership contract plans and procedures, managing conflicts, providing immediate resolution for concerns, and evaluating collaboration parameters... Show more$14-45
    CoordinatorCoordinators are responsible for liaising between the department they are assigned to and any other external party. They oversee projects or agreements... Show more$12-29
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Client Orientation
    • Social Work
    • Patients
    • Program Operations
    • Client Supervision
    • Mental Health
    • Community Resources
    • Crisis Intervention
    • Vital Signs
    • Social Services
    • Direct Care
    • Child Care
    • CPR
    • Public Assistance Programs
    Check all skills
    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.
    • Conduct referrals base on clients living, resources, income and household status and regarding current and prior medicaid assistance.
    • Screen patients for Medicaid eligibility; assist clients accessing resources.
    More human services worker duties
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your human services worker job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A human services worker can vary based on:

    • Location. For example, human services workers' average salary in georgia is 41% less than in district of columbia.
    • Seniority. Entry-level human services workers 61% less than senior-level human services workers.
    • Certifications. A human services worker with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a human services worker's salary.

    Average human services worker salary

    $13.94hourly

    $29,005 yearly

    Entry-level human services worker salary
    $18,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 16, 2025

    Average human services worker salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1California$32,615$16
    2Wisconsin$30,977$15
    3New Hampshire$30,886$15
    4Connecticut$30,092$14
    5Nevada$29,695$14
    6Massachusetts$29,199$14
    7Rhode Island$28,722$14
    8Delaware$27,963$13
    9Oregon$27,927$13
    10Colorado$26,999$13
    11Iowa$26,544$13
    12Maryland$25,765$12
    13Florida$24,590$12
    14Kansas$24,124$12
    15Arizona$23,405$11
    16Utah$23,255$11
    17West Virginia$22,117$11
    18Oklahoma$21,753$10
    19Alabama$20,935$10

    Average human services worker salary by company

    RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rateJob openings
    1University of California-Berkeley$46,523$22.371
    2ICF$36,205$17.41
    3Prince William County$31,768$15.271
    4The State of Oregon$31,048$14.9326
    5State Of South Dakota$29,682$14.2747
    6Howard County Government$29,645$14.25
    7Professional$29,073$13.985
    8The University System of Maryland Foundation$28,939$13.91
    9Carson City Nevada$28,561$13.733
    10Milwaukee County$28,218$13.57
    11Pathlight$27,973$13.45
    12City & County Of San Francisco - Police Department (sfpd)$27,675$13.3152
    13My Florida Regional Mls$27,609$13.27
    14Florida Department of Transportation$26,220$12.61
    15State Of Florida$25,720$12.37122
    16Florida Dept. of Health$25,221$12.131
    17Goodwill Northern Michigan$24,977$12.011
  4. Writing a human services worker job description

    A human services worker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a human services worker job description:

    Human services worker job description example

    • Minimum of eighteen (18) years of age and high school graduate or GED equivalent

    Preferred Qualifications:

    - Possess and maintain a valid Michigan driver's license

    - Working knowledge of equipment, materials, and supplies used in roads, building, and parks maintenance. Some knowledge of equipment and supplies used to do minor repairs.

    - Ability to use equipment and tools properly and safely.

    - Ability to understand, follow, and transmit written and oral instructions.

    - Ability to work independently and to complete daily activities according to work schedule.

    - Ability to lift and carry materials in excess of 50 pounds while in a bending, stooping or other non-upright position on a frequent basis

    - Ability to walk or stand for long periods of time, and to perform strenuous physical labor under adverse filed conditions.

    - Ability to establish effective working relationships with employees, supervisor and the public.


    PHYSICAL DEMANDS

    The physical demands characterized here epitomize those that must be met by an employee to properly perform the integral functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


    In order to properly perform the integral functions of this job, the employee is frequently required to: stand, walk or sit, talk or hear, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Also, the employee will frequently be required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects and to reach with hands and arms.


    The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally will be required to lift objects or exert a force equal to that of 100 pounds. Vision requirements for this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.


    WORKING CONDITIONS

    While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions to include extreme cold or heat, inclement weather and night conditions for periods in excess of eight hours.

    The employee frequently works in high places and is frequently exposed to wet and or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud.

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right human services worker for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your human services worker job on Zippia to find and recruit human services worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting human services workers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new human services worker

    Once you've selected the best human services worker candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new human services worker. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a human services worker?

Hiring a human services worker comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting human services workers involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of human services worker recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

You can expect to pay around $29,005 per year for a human services worker, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for human services workers in the US typically range between $8 and $22 an hour.

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