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Job outlook for human services workers in the United States
Human services worker job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected human services worker job growth rate is 12% from 2018-2028.
About 52,400 new jobs for human services workers are projected over the next decade.
Human services worker salaries have increased 13% for human services workers in the last 5 years.
There are over 4,575 human services workers currently employed in the United States.
There are 179,257 active human services worker job openings in the US.
The average human services worker salary is $29,005.
Are human services worker jobs in demand?
Human services worker job and salary trends over time
Human services worker jobs over time
Human services worker job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,575 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 4,593 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 4,645 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 4,505 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 4,411 | 0.00% |
Average human services worker salary over time
Human services worker salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $29,005 | $13.94 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $28,279 | $13.60 | +3.9% |
| 2024 | $27,222 | $13.09 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $26,714 | $12.84 | +4.1% |
| 2022 | $25,657 | $12.34 | +3.2% |
Human services worker jobs by state
Most common states for human services workers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 456 | 66% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 242 | 39% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,339 | 34% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 2,437 | 33% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 628 | 33% |
| 6 | Delaware | 961,939 | 315 | 33% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,766 | 31% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 273 | 31% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,245 | 30% |
| 10 | Alaska | 739,795 | 223 | 30% |
| 11 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 2,433 | 29% |
| 12 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 167 | 29% |
| 13 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 860 | 28% |
| 14 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,767 | 27% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 962 | 27% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 863 | 27% |
| 17 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,564 | 26% |
| 18 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,443 | 26% |
| 19 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 442 | 26% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 342 | 26% |
Most common cities for human services workers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Provo | 9 | 8% | $23,134 |
| 2 | American Fork | 2 | 7% | $23,166 |
| 3 | Orem | 2 | 2% | $23,146 |
| 4 | Gainesville | 1 | 1% | $24,590 |
| 5 | Lansing | 1 | 1% | $23,023 |
| 6 | Springfield | 1 | 1% | $31,045 |
| 7 | Baltimore | 2 | 0% | $25,765 |
| 8 | Sacramento | 2 | 0% | $32,246 |
| 9 | Cleveland | 1 | 0% | $30,274 |
| 10 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $31,558 |
Human Services Worker job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of human services worker experts
Ohio University
Colorado State University - Pueblo
Campbellsville University
Siena College
Nazareth College of Rochester
Kennesaw State University
Azusa Pacific University
Butler University
Texas Southern University
University of Houston - Clear Lake
Radford University
What general advice would you give to a Human Services Worker?
Emily McCave PhD, MSW, LCSW: Most people find social work to be incredibly rewarding, knowing that you are a facilitator of positive change, whether be within an individual, organization, or at a larger community or societal level. For many, being able to help people reach their full capacity is fulfilling. The amount of documentation we must complete in clinical settings is often what is liked the least.
What will help Human Services Workers 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.
What will help Human Services Workers 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 will help Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Pamela Richmond Ph.D.: Social workers employed in a variety of diverse settings to include prisons, hospitals, child welfare, homeless shelters, nursing homes, substance abuse facilities, mental health facilities, community organizations and politics (and there are many, many more settings). The setting and the population of clients the social workers assist (children, youth, adults, etc.) will determine the specific day-to-day workload. However, general daily tasks completed regardless of the setting include interacting with clients/community constituents, responding to phone calls/e-mails, problem-solving, teamwork within the organization employed and/or with community constituents and documentation. Social workers entering the profession have fulfilled placement work during their educational training. Meaning, prior to graduation they have been placed in an agency working under the supervision of a social worker applying what they have learned in their coursework. As a result, when they begin their work as a social worker, they are ready to apply the knowledge, values and the skills they have learned to fulfill the tasks mentioned above.
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW
Associate Professor of Social WorkCampbellsville University
Social Work
What general advice would you give to a Human Services Worker?
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 Human Services Worker 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 Human Services Workers 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.
Elisa Martin Ph.D., MSW
Associate Professor of Social Work, Department Chair & Program DirectorSiena College
Social Sciences
What will help Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Elisa Martin Ph.D., MSW: The beauty of the social work profession is that the skills you learn from your degree can be applied in a range of settings and populations. Depending on your interest, you could be working with children, youth, adults, older adults, or in an area of interest like domestic violence, homelessness, child welfare, gerontology. The work you do could be one-on-one, with small groups, running programs within an organization, and/or working in communities.
What general advice would you give to a Human Services Worker?
Erin Cole DSW, LCSW: There is a phrase that sometimes comes out in social work that we are "in it for the outcome, not for the income." This is true but also, we deserve a livable wage. I already see graduates starting at higher salaries so I think this is trending in the right direction. With that said, I think the best way to maximize salary potential is to build your resume with trainings and certifications, beyond the degree, to show that you have something extra to offer compared to another new graduate. There are so many courses available online to get certified in specific interventions.
What Human Services Worker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Erin Cole DSW, LCSW: When you're looking for jobs, don't look for a forever job. Find something that seems like a good fit right now. The pressure for it to be forever is too much. Do it for as long as it feels right and move on when it doesn't. Also, remember that being a new graduate is an asset! You are more current on trends in social work, literature, and evidence-based practices than many seasoned professionals. You add value to the setting and should not minimize that by falling back on being new in the field.
What will help Human Services Workers 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 Human Services Worker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Cynthia Peters MSW: It is a good profession to enter now, due to the need for social workers in some of the jobs that I mentioned in the previous question. Social Workers can provide a different perspective on service delivery. Meeting the clients where they are at; developing relationships with the community; advocating for client services; writing grants; monitoring grants; brokering services......
What general advice would you give to a Human Services Worker?
Cindy Snell: Be able to articulate the skills and experience you have that are relevant to the jobs you are seeking - tell your story! Learn another language than English. Negotiate your hiring terms. Learn about loan forgiveness options.
What general advice would you give to a Human Services Worker?
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 will help Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Aimée Vadnais Psy.D, LMFT: Research the going rates in your industry and ask colleagues to have a good idea. Recognize your worth and advocate for yourself during pay discussions. Highlight unique skill sets that may be valuable to the agency. Provide free education nights to benefit the community, potentially leading to clients. Find a niche population you enjoy working with and market your services specifically to this area.
What Human Services Worker 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 Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Alexis Henderson M.S., OTR/L, CLT, OCC: My advice to new graduates would be three-fold: First, take everything in stride. You cannot know what you do not know so do not feel embarrassed or incompetent if there is knowledge you are lacking. Most education in human service truly is acquired on the job. Never be afraid to ask questions and never let anyone make you feel inferior for needing to ask a question. Remember, you are working with human lives and therefore you would much rather ask the question and be safe than hurt someone. Second, work to separate work and personal life. It is so easy to come out of school and into the human profession field and want to fix everyone and everything. This is wonderful but also remember that your job is not your entire identity. There has to be some boundaries and separation, or burnout will be inevitable. Lastly, remember that your attitude dictates your experience. If you approach your work with kindness, gratitude, openness, and dedication it will take you so much farther in life. Challenging patients/clients are usually those who need help the most, so extend them a little extra kindness and grace. Your boss has a job to do, just like you, so ensure you stand up for what you need but also remember that them doing their job is not a personal attack.
What will help Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Candace Riddley: I would encourage a beginning graduate to find a mentor who works in the field of social work. Mentorship is a great way for social workers to enhance their skills, knowledge, and career paths. This is an opportunity to provide guidance, support, feedback, and networking opportunities. Lastly, mentorship provides the opportunity to discuss job-related issues, career concerns, licensure, and challenges within the field. Mentorship is a great way to help graduates grow personally and professionally.
Jeffrey Bryant MSW, LCSW
Associate Tenured Professor in the BSW Program for the Phylis Lan Lin School of Social Work and CounselingWhat general advice would you give to a Human Services Worker?
Jeffrey Bryant MSW, LCSW: Social Work is one of the fastest-growing professions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of social workers will grow 12% between now and 2030. In a Bachelor of Social Work program, we earn a generalist degree. Where the goal is to learn enough about everything in social work practice so we can make a competent referral. Therefore, being able to work with any population of people and being able to know and share all resources that this population would need. In addition, the more experience and training we receive and further education (Master of Social Work, MSW) the better we will be prepared to serve others.
Dr. Stephen Barnard Ph.D.
Associate Professor and ChairButler University
Criminal Justice And Corrections
What will help Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Stephen Barnard Ph.D.: Practically all career pathways in this field imbue workers with some amount of power over others. That's a big responsibility to carry, and anyone vying for such a role should be mindful of how their work may contribute to and/or combat systemic inequalities and other disparities in the world. The better one is informed on these matters, the better equipped they will be to mitigate them in their work and in others'.
Nancy Shepherd PhD., CFCS
Assistant ProfessorTexas Southern University
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
What Human Services Worker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nancy Shepherd PhD., CFCS: In general, employers stress the need for individuals that are good communicators, both verbally and in writing. Specifically in the field, the positions are varied in skill requirements. Good listening and empathy skills are important when dealing with families and young children. Business owners and workers will benefit from soft skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, work ethic, professional attitude, and organization.
Dr. Lisa Jones Ed.D.
Professor - Multicultural EducationUniversity of Houston - Clear Lake
Intercultural/Multicultural And Diversity Studies
What will help Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Lisa Jones Ed.D.: The best advice that I would share is that at the beginning, for some, you will not make a tremendous amount of money. This field is about the graduate becoming more reflective of their own lived experiences and personal narratives and using their agency to empower those that are not seen or heard. So, in essence, it really is not about you, or the money, but rather about supporting others on their journeys.
Diane Hodge MSW, Ph.D., LCSW
Radford University
Social Work
What will help Human Services Workers increase their earning potential?
Diane Hodge MSW, Ph.D., LCSW: Number one is planning for advance training and licensure right after graduation. It takes at least two years after an MSW to obtain clinical licensure so students should not wait to get started. Unfortunately, I don't hear that there is a lot opportunity to negotiate salaries in our field so I think students need to do their homework about what is a reasonable salary in their specialty and location - and be ready to turn down low-paying offers. There are ample jobs on the market and real need so it's worth considering other offers. And of course, sell yourself! Students should use their university career center, talk to social workers and network, get references from their practicums, learn how to showcase their education, volunteer work, and practicum work on their resumes.