How to hire a protective services social worker

How to hire a protective services social worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step protective services social 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 protective services social worker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new protective services social worker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a protective services social worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your protective services social worker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a protective services social worker for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A protective services social worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, protective services social 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.

   Here's a comparison of protective services social worker salaries for various roles:

   Type of Protective Services Social Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Protective Services Social Worker	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$19-30
   Family Therapist	A Family Therapist works with couples and families to help ameliorate marital and family issues. They can work in hospitals, treatment programs, government agencies, health organizations, and private practices.	$17-32
   Case Worker	Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family... Show more	$14-26

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Protective Services
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Community Resources
   • Social Services
   • Foster Care
   • Family Assessments
   • Community Agencies
   • Child Protective
   • In-Home
   • Child Welfare
   • Mental Health Professionals
   • Court Reports
   • Vulnerable Adults

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage a caseload TANF clients, assess clients eligibility to receive benefits, assist with placement of clients in various programs.
   • Coordinate admissions of active duty service members and veterans to the inpatient rehabilitation/medical unit after suffering a new spinal cord injury.
   • Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.

   More protective services social worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your protective services social worker job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A protective services social worker salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a protective services social worker in Arkansas may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level protective services social worker usually earns less than a senior-level protective services social worker. Additionally, a protective services social worker with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average protective services social worker salary

   $51,488yearly

   $24.75 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level protective services social worker salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average protective services social worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$78,831	$38
   2	Washington	$59,889	$29
   3	California	$59,303	$29
   4	Colorado	$54,642	$26
   5	Wisconsin	$53,163	$26
   6	Massachusetts	$52,786	$25
   7	North Carolina	$51,648	$25
   8	Minnesota	$50,826	$24

   Average protective services social worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Washington State University	$55,355	$26.61	1
   2	Stearns County MN	$52,908	$25.44	1
   3	New Bridge Medical Center	$52,410	$25.20
   4	State of Nevada Employees' Association Inc	$51,338	$24.68	76
   5	New Hanover County	$51,273	$24.65
   6	Adams County Government Center	$48,023	$23.09
   7	Springwell	$46,957	$22.58	1
   8	Wake County	$44,605	$21.44	5
   9	New Brunswick Public Schools	$43,756	$21.04	2

4. Writing a protective services social worker job description

   A good protective services social worker job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a protective services social worker job description:

   Protective services social worker job description example

   The Johnston County Department of Social Services has an immediate opening for a Child Protective Services- Social Worker Investigative/ Assessment and Treatment position in the Child Welfare Investigations Unit, located at 714 North Street, Smithfield.
   Internal applicants must to apply online to be considered.
   
   Preference will be given to applicants with prior Child Welfare experience and/ or completion of mandatory Child Welfare training within the last 3 years.
   
   Will accept work against or trainee status if fully qualified applicants are not located.
   
   Please note: Final candidates subject to pre-employment drug screen and background check (includes criminal and motor vehicle records).
   
   It is preferred that a copy of an unofficial transcript be attached to the application at time of submission for qualification purposes. Please note should a transcript not be attached, it may be requested.
   
   Duties and Responsibilities
   
   Social Worker-Investigative/Assessment and Treatment in the Investigations Team will receive alleged reports of abuse, neglect and/or dependency and determine; within legally mandated time frames by quick assessment of the degree of risks to potential victim children by appropriate investigative techniques; if said reports are unfounded and should be unsubstantiated or found to not be in need of services or have risen to the level of statutory definitions of such offenses in GS 7B-101 and require substantiation or a finding of in need of services and involuntary intervention to ensure the safety of victim children. After hour coverage is expected and anticipated on a regular basis in order to ensure the state mandated contacts are made as well as serving or providing On-Call coverage on a regular basis.
   
   Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
   
   Thorough knowledge of social work principles, techniques, and practices, and their application to complex casework, group work, and community problems. Considerable knowledge of a wide range of medical behavioral and psychological problems and their treatment. Considerable knowledge of family and group dynamics and a range of intervention techniques. Considerable knowledge of governmental and private organizations and resources in the community. Considerable knowledge of the laws, regulations, and policies which govern the program. General knowledge of the methods and principles of casework supervision and training. In certain settings, considerable knowledge of medical terminology, disease processes and their treatment as they relate to decisions regarding clinical interventions and appropriate therapies based on medical or psychological diagnosis. Skill in establishing rapport with a client and in applying techniques of assessing psychological, behavioral, and psychological aspects of client's problems. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with members of caseload and their families as well as civic, legal, medical, social, and religious organizations. Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely and to plan and execute work effectively.
   
   Desired Education and Experience
   
   Master's degree from an accredited school of social work and one year of social work experience; or a Bachelor's degree from an accredited school of social work and two years of social work or counseling experience; or Master's degree in a counseling field and two years of social work or counseling experience; or a four-year degree in a human services field or related curriculum and three years of social work or counseling experience; or graduation from a four-year college or university and four years of experience in rehabilitation counseling, pastoral counseling or a related human service field providing experience in the techniques of casework, group work or community organization; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. One year of work experience can be credited for completion of the social work collaborative.
   
   * It is preferred that a copy of an unofficial transcript be attached to the application at time of submission for qualification purposes. Please note should a transcript not be attached, it may be requested.
   * Please document all work history relevant to the position for which you are applying. Determination of qualifying for the position and salary may be based on years of experience. Failure to document complete work history may affect qualification determination and salary. Electronic applications cannot be amended once submitted.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find protective services social workers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your protective services social worker job on Zippia to find and recruit protective services social worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit protective services social workers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 protective services social worker

   Once you've found the protective services social worker candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new protective services social worker. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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 protective services social worker?