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Job outlook for social services aides in the United States
Are social services aide jobs in demand?
Social services aide job and salary trends over time
Social services aide jobs over time
Social services aide job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 141 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 141 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 143 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 139 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 136 | 0.00% |
Average social services aide salary over time
Social services aide salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,458 | $15.60 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $31,646 | $15.21 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $30,463 | $14.65 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $29,895 | $14.37 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $28,712 | $13.80 | +3.2% |
Social services aide jobs by state
Most common states for social services aides
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 330 | 48% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 3,224 | 47% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 2,122 | 38% |
| 4 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 510 | 38% |
| 5 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 397 | 38% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 277 | 37% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 1,109 | 35% |
| 8 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 594 | 31% |
| 9 | Vermont | 623,657 | 186 | 30% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 309 | 29% |
| 11 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 244 | 28% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 211 | 28% |
| 13 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,773 | 27% |
| 14 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,646 | 27% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 363 | 27% |
| 16 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,078 | 26% |
| 17 | Delaware | 961,939 | 254 | 26% |
| 18 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,847 | 25% |
| 19 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 731 | 25% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 427 | 25% |
Most common cities for social services aides
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alameda | 2 | 3% | $38,848 |
| 2 | Niles | 1 | 3% | $31,814 |
| 3 | Des Plaines | 1 | 2% | $31,813 |
| 4 | Palm Harbor | 1 | 2% | $24,240 |
| 5 | Anaheim | 2 | 1% | $37,930 |
| 6 | Springfield | 1 | 1% | $31,214 |
| 7 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $31,767 |
| 8 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $38,115 |
| 9 | Boston | 1 | 0% | $31,252 |
| 10 | Oxnard | 1 | 0% | $38,414 |
| 11 | San Diego | 1 | 0% | $37,547 |
Social Services Aide job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of social services aide experts
Ohio University
Pennsylvania State University
Siena College
Nazareth College of Rochester
Nebraska Christian College
Kennesaw State University
Azusa Pacific University
Chatham University
The University of Texas Permian Basin
University of Nevada - Reno
University of Illinois-Springfield
Northern Kentucky University
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Aide?
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 Social Services Aide skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Emily McCave PhD, MSW, LCSW: The need for social workers is high, particularly after the pandemic. A shortage of social workers means that there's an increasing demand in the field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics social work jobs are expected to increase 13% between 2020 and 2030.
What will help Social Services Aides 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 general advice would you give to a Social Services Aide?
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 Social Services Aides 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 Social Services Aide skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
James Andrews LCSW, LICSW, BCD: It is always dangerous to attempt to predict the future; even as little as 3-5 years. However, there are a few skills sets and knowledge areas I would recommend new graduates consciously focus upon for development. First and foremost, I would identify digital literacy and cybersecurity knowledge as critical over the next five years. The recent pandemic had at least one positive outcome: it accelerated and propelled society’s acceptance of virtual platforms and environments across multiple industries. And social work is no exception. Developing proficiency with digital tools and platforms including an understanding of cybersecurity, social media and telehealth technologies will be critical for new social workers. It may surprise some folks to hear this, but such proficiency extends to data analysis and interpretation. I’m not saying social workers need to learn computer programming. However, the rapid emergence of various types of artificial intelligence to assist and enhance people’s ability to analyze and make sense of data will only become increasingly important. Skills and knowledge in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence as they apply to clinical services will be highly sought after. Another area I see as becoming increasingly important over the next five years is the cultivation of interdisciplinary knowledge and practice. The combining of expertise from multiple fields can lead to innovative solutions. This involves one’s own knowledge as well as the ability to foster cross-disciplinary relationships and collaborations. For example, knowledge in both technology and business management can give one an edge in pursuing leadership roles that require strategic decision-making.
What will help Social Services Aides 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 Social Services Aide?
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 Social Services Aide 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 Social Services Aide 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......
Christine Kiewra
Associate Professor of PracticeNebraska Christian College
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Aide?
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 general advice would you give to a Social Services Aide?
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 Social Services Aide?
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 general advice would you give to a Social Services Aide?
Dr. Aimée Vadnais Psy.D, LMFT: Keep in touch with your professors and classmates. They will be able to provide you with letters of recommendations in the future, connect you with job leads, and can make introductions to you to people in the field. Keep your resume current with any trainings or seminars that you attend and include additional certifications you obtain. Keep educating yourself by taking continuing education to learn more about certain topics, theories, interventions, or populations you are interested in learning more about. Network through CAMFT or AAMFT by attending their local chapter events, where you can meet others in the field in your area. Lastly, create a Linked In page so you can advertise about yourself and form local connections with others in your field.
What will help Social Services Aides 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 general advice would you give to a Social Services Aide?
Andrew Schoolnik: Saying 'yes' to as many challenges and tasks as possible. The accumulation of these experiences will create new opportunities and the cumulation of myriad opportunities is central to career advancement. The 2021 revision to the Social Work Code of Ethics includes the importance of self-care, and saying 'yes' must be balanced with this.
What Social Services Aide 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 Social Services Aide 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!
What will help Social Services Aides 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.
What will help Social Services Aides increase their earning potential?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: Psychologists should be aware of what others in their field are making for similar positions. It is important to ask for what your work is worth in an initial position to assure raises are based on a solid starting salary. Newer psychologists may also consider asking for an early review that prompts an early conversation around potential raises, bonus, or other job benefits.
What Social Services Aide skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Melissa Bell: I advise new graduates to carefully consider their priorities when evaluating their first job opportunities. With numerous career paths and an abundance of job openings, it's essential for them to reflect on factors such as location preference, the social environment, and the support of peers in the workplace. Additionally, they should not overlook practical considerations like transportation and commuting. Articulating what matters most to them, as well as what holds less importance, can assist them in clarifying their career goals and making informed decisions. Moreover, It's crucial for new graduates to recognize the importance of being dependable, reliable, and skilled, and to thoroughly understand the job requirements of the positions they are considering. They should assess how they can achieve success in their careers by reflecting on their strengths and weaknesses. Recognizing areas for further skill development is paramount for professional growth and effectiveness in one's chosen career path. By addressing these areas, individuals can better serve the needs of their clients and communities, fostering success both personally and within their professional endeavors.
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.
Professor and Academic Chair Department of Social WorkThe University of Texas Permian Basin
Department of Social Work
What skills stand out on Social Services Aide resumes?
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.: Social work is a profession rooted in professional ethics and requires a wide range of skills that vary depending upon the role a social worker holds in an organization. In general, social work skills that stand out on a resume are skills gained through specialized training and certifications, skills in culturally responsive practice, proficiency in languages, and skills in assessment and evaluation.
What soft skills should all Social Services Aides possess?
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.: Social workers need to be skillful in documentation in writing case notes, assessments, and good managers of their time. Managing a client's case requires social workers to be diligent and ensure that all required documentation is completed on time and within professional standards. Social workers must also be effective communicators understanding their own power and the multiple professional roles they hold.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Services Aides?
Sam Terrazas Ph.D.: Social workers practice in various areas of practice and organizational auspices that may differ in the hard/technical skills that are most important. In general, the hard/technical skills most important can be categorized based on the level of education-BSW (Bachelors of Social Work) versus MSW (Masters of Social Work).
BSW's practice in a range of organizations providing various types of services; however, in general practice in the realm of case management that requires that ability to demonstrate cultural responsiveness, develop an alliance with clients, apply NASW and a state's ethics and professional standards of practice, conduct assessments, and to develop plans to meet a client's goals.
MSW's practice in many areas such as administration, clinical, public policy and advocacy, child welfare, public safety, and health care. Each of these practice areas requires specific technical skills; however, in general, MSW's are trained to assess individuals, families, groups, and communities. To that end, MSW's must understand the cultural context and how socio/economic local, state, federal policies impact social welfare problems such as poverty, intimate partner violence, and mental illness. MSW's must possess strong engagement skills/therapeutic alliance-building, diagnostic/evaluation skills, ethical application of interventions and therapeutic approaches, and advocacy skills.
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.
Associate DeanUniversity of Nevada - Reno
School of Social Work
What soft skills should all Social Services Aides possess?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: Social workers need to be prepared to work in integrated health and multidisciplinary settings and act as change agents across systems of care. They work with various communities and people, and therefore soft skills are very important to their success. Some of the most important soft skills include:
-Teamwork. ...
-Communication Skills
-Problem-Solving Skills
-Ethics
-Flexibility/Adaptability
-Leadership skills
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Aide?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: A master's degree in social work maximizes the potential of social workers salaries and their level of expertise to provide needed services. Programs offered by CSWE accredited programs like the University of Nevada Reno, School of Social Work can maximize the potential of a social worker's career.
What skills stand out on Social Services Aide resumes?
Youngjin Kang Ph.D.: In general, I think there are three things that will help job seekers in the field stand out on their resume, including (1) experiences, (2) practical skills, and (3) flexibility. First, let's talk about the experience. As a helping professional, your experience in the field helps you deal with a challenging situation smoothly. There are many unexpected situations where you do not know what to do. Such situations commonly occur in the field as working with your clients (e.g., your client talks about suicidal ideation). You can't experience everything, particularly if you are a student, but both direct and indirect experiences will benefit you. Direct experiences may be gained through previous jobs and internships while pursuing a degree. Indirect experiences may be gained through learning from co-workers, interacting with classmates who are already in the field, and reading and learning while in your degree program. Second, practical skills are important in many ways. Human services professionals' tasks vary by what agency they work for and clients they work with. To be able to complete given tasks, practical skills are helpful; they are not necessarily fancy or difficult-to-achieve, but something that can be practiced and gained if willing to learn. For example, they include but are not limited to documentation, computer skills (e.g., setting up online sessions), knowledge about professional ethics, assessment and intervention, communication skills, referral skills, and knowledge about resources in the communities. Finally, flexibility may help you survive in the field. For example, Covid-19 circumstances, as you may already know, have brought many unprecedented changes and challenges in our lives and the field. Many case workers in the field have been meeting their clients online, and ways of helping their clients had to be changed due to the ongoing pandemic. These changes occurred so quickly, which requires helping professionals in the field to find ways of meeting their client's needs as quickly as possible. In such situations, if helping professionals are not flexible, they would not be able to effectively assist their clients.
What skills will help Social Services Aides earn the most?
Youngjin Kang Ph.D.: Self-care skills. It is imperative for human services professionals to practice self-care regularly. Human services jobs are emotionally and physically draining and challenging, although they are rewarding. If you do not know how to take care of yourself and your needs, how can you take care of others? If you do not practice self-care regularly, you are likely to experience burnout - no resilience to go back to your highest ability to help others. Many helping professionals put their client's needs first and neglect their needs, but in the long run, this is not a smart thing to do.
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.
Associate Professor, MSW Program Director, School of Social WorkNorthern Kentucky University
College of Health and Human Services
What soft skills should all Social Services Aides possess?
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.: Regarding soft skills, we look for skills that are essential foundational skills within the profession. These include empathy, active listening, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, to name a few. These are essential for effective alliance-building with our clients and for making unbiased and ethical decisions. As social workers, we are often in the business of communication. Rarely do we work in isolation, as much of our work involves collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and individuals in other professional domains. As such, effective communication, organization, time management, and collaborative skills are necessary.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Social Services Aides?
Katherina Nikzad-Terhune Ph.D.: We are a dynamic evidence-based profession that requires specialized skills in order to effectively complete the demanding work that our profession entails. The soft skills described above are all intertwined with the hard skills required in the social work profession. Below are examples of hard skills required in the social work profession (note, this list is not exhaustive):
a. Client Evaluation Skills-All social workers, regardless of practice setting, must possess competency in client evaluation. This requires the ability to complete thorough and accurate assessments of our clients and their environment.
b. Diagnosis-While not all social workers will go on to diagnose, those who obtain full licensure often do. Having the ability to diagnose has many lifelong implications for the clients we work with, so it is vital that social workers possess the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking required to provide accurate diagnoses.
c. Intervention- This is often at the heart of what we do as social workers, and this will look different for each client. Social workers need to be skilled in providing evidence-based interventions for patients. This requires sufficient education and training in various evidence-based techniques. Intervention can also come in the form of connecting clients to necessary resources and collaborating with other professionals to help meet the unique needs of clients.
d. Crisis Management- All social workers will likely encounter a crisis situation at some point. We must possess the skills to respond accordingly by making swift and ethical decisions while simultaneously collaborating with other professionals involved.
e. Cultural Competency -Social workers will encounter clients from diverse backgrounds, and therefore need to be mindful and educated about various cultural beliefs and practices. We must also be willing to self-examine our own beliefs and biases and acknowledge what we have yet to learn.
f. Advocacy: All social workers uphold social justice and work to empower our clients and communities through advocacy efforts. Possessing advocacy skills allows us to support our clients, especially vulnerable populations, and ensure they have the opportunities and resources they need.
g. Documentation- Sound and professional documentation is critical in social work. Each encounter we have with a client needs to be documented to ensure accuracy and to ensure appropriate services and interventions. I tell my students to always document as if their records would one day be read aloud in a courtroom.