How to hire a social services assistant

How to hire a social services assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step social services assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a social services assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your social services assistant 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 social services assistant 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 social services assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, social services assistants 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 social services assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Social Services Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Social Services Assistant	Social 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.	$13-22
   Licensed Social Worker	Licensed Social Workers are duly and legally recognized to carry out activities related to social work. They identify individuals or groups of people in need and assess what kind of help they require... Show more	$19-37
   Social Work Internship	Social work interns are students who chose to do their on-the-job training in the field of social work. They apply for an internship at social services facilities... Show more	$12-24

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Work
   • Patients
   • Rehabilitation
   • Discharge Planning
   • Term Care
   • Community Resources
   • Community Agencies
   • Admission Process
   • Mental Health
   • Room Changes
   • Compassion
   • Home Health
   • Psychosocial Assessments
   • Social History

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Initial triage of members, administrative intake of members and managing the admission/discharge information post-notification.
   • Assist individuals and families in need with applications for food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, cash assistance and housing.
   • Develop, organize and conduct programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships and rehabilitation.
   • Verify Medicare coverage/ benefits/ obtain prior authorization.
   • Process specialize Medicaid applications receive from government agencies and social service organizations which require urgent processing.
   • Establish, maintain and generate military and community contacts structure to address various services available to respective patients.

   More social services assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the social services assistant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A social services assistant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a social services assistant in Louisiana may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level social services assistant. Additionally, a social services assistant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average social services assistant salary

   $37,445yearly

   $18.00 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level social services assistant salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average social services assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$46,821	$23
   2	California	$44,188	$21
   3	New York	$43,143	$21
   4	Oregon	$40,439	$19
   5	Wisconsin	$39,994	$19
   6	Connecticut	$38,917	$19
   7	Colorado	$38,367	$18
   8	Hawaii	$36,358	$17
   9	Massachusetts	$35,496	$17
   10	Florida	$35,146	$17
   11	Utah	$33,948	$16
   12	Tennessee	$33,686	$16
   13	Indiana	$32,708	$16
   14	Kentucky	$31,573	$15

   Average social services assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Research Foundation of The City University of New York	$42,899	$20.62
   2	Powder Springs, Georgia	$41,285	$19.85
   3	American Senior Benefits	$40,877	$19.65	25
   4	City of Louisville	$40,309	$19.38
   5	County of Riverside	$40,126	$19.29	13
   6	Avalon Health Care Group	$39,815	$19.14	5
   7	Life Care Solutions	$38,997	$18.75	44
   8	State of Connecticut	$38,925	$18.71	30
   9	Indian Health Service	$38,374	$18.45	41
   10	Mission Health Communities	$38,254	$18.39
   11	Forest Manufacturing Co	$38,109	$18.32
   12	Eliot Community Human Services Inc	$38,079	$18.31	71
   13	The State of Oregon	$38,078	$18.31	27
   14	Lifespace Communities	$38,044	$18.29	4
   15	Alden Poplar Creek Rehabilitation & Health Care Center	$37,895	$18.22
   16	Nspire Network	$37,870	$18.21	1
   17	Prestige Brands	$37,855	$18.20
   18	Looking Glass Factory	$37,835	$18.19	2
   19	Volunteers of America, Utah	$37,826	$18.19	5
   20	Prime Healthcare	$37,811	$18.18	56

4. Writing a social services assistant job description

   A social services assistant 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 social services assistant job description:

   Social services assistant job description example

   As a Social Service Assistant (SSA) you are in charge of maintaining sight and sound supervision of our AYS clients. You must be a positive role model and youth mentor for the teens in our care. You will be responsible for observing and recording both positive and negative behavior patterns to aid case managers and therapists in counseling and/or service planning for clients. We are currently seeking a full-time staff, shift and days to be determined but the schedule will include at least one weekend day.
   
   For more information about the AYS Social Service Assistant position, you can download the full job description below.
   
   AYS (Adjudicated Youth Services) is a specialized residential program that supports female juvenile offenders, from all over the state, ages 12-18, by teaching them new skills and ways to cope with the growing pains of life and individual circumstances. This program combines therapy with 24-hour supervised group living, to enable youth to learn new skills and behaviors appropriate to their recovery process and individual treatment plans.
   Click here to learn more about our AYS Pathways Girls Program.
   
   People who excel in this program have a passion for helping others. You must be able to build rapport with teen clients while upholding strong professional boundaries and maintaining program rules. A bachelor's degree in a related field, prior experience in a residential facility, or experience working with at-risk youth is preferred.
   
   Our workforce and clientele represent a diverse set of people from all walks of life. As such, we are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion in the agency. All staff must embody and represent these, and other, Looking Glass agency values.
   
   Follow these links to learn more about Looking Glass and see why our staff love the work they do!
   
   In accordance with the Oregon Health Authority rule, all healthcare providers and staff working in the Adjudicated Youth Services program must be fully vaccinated or have an approved exemption/accommodation before beginning work.
   
   Apply TODAY through October 17th to be considered for our November Training Module, beginning on November 7th.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right social services assistant 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 social services assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit social services assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit social services assistants, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 social services assistant

   Once you've decided on a perfect social services assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new social services assistant first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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 social services assistant?