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Job outlook for social services assistants in the United States
Are social services assistant jobs in demand?
Social services assistant job and salary trends over time
Social services assistant jobs over time
Social services assistant job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,818 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,825 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,846 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,790 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,753 | 0.00% |
Average social services assistant salary over time
Social services assistant salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,445 | $18.00 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $36,508 | $17.55 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $35,144 | $16.90 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $34,488 | $16.58 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $33,124 | $15.92 | +3.2% |
Social services assistant jobs by state
Most common states for social services assistants
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 354 | 51% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,527 | 37% |
| 3 | Alaska | 739,795 | 264 | 36% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,744 | 31% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 391 | 29% |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 356 | 27% |
| 7 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,490 | 25% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 775 | 25% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,774 | 24% |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 251 | 24% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 149 | 24% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,302 | 23% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 436 | 23% |
| 14 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 239 | 23% |
| 15 | Delaware | 961,939 | 219 | 23% |
| 16 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 201 | 23% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 170 | 23% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 132 | 23% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 726 | 20% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 336 | 20% |
Most common cities for social services assistants
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danville | 2 | 6% | $39,208 |
| 2 | Bradenton | 2 | 4% | $34,958 |
| 3 | Clermont | 1 | 3% | $35,266 |
| 4 | Daytona Beach | 1 | 2% | $35,398 |
| 5 | Orlando | 3 | 1% | $35,146 |
| 6 | Fort Wayne | 2 | 1% | $32,920 |
| 7 | Avondale | 1 | 1% | $39,004 |
| 8 | Cape Coral | 1 | 1% | $34,554 |
| 9 | Davis | 1 | 1% | $43,733 |
| 10 | Everett | 1 | 1% | $46,914 |
| 11 | Fort Collins | 1 | 1% | $38,190 |
| 12 | Fort Myers | 1 | 1% | $34,530 |
| 13 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $39,336 |
| 14 | Denver | 2 | 0% | $38,221 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | 2 | 0% | $43,594 |
Social Services Assistant job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of social services assistant experts
University of Alaska Anchorage
Campbellsville University
Pennsylvania State University
Siena College
Nazareth College of Rochester
Nebraska Christian College
Kennesaw State University
Azusa Pacific University
The University of Texas Permian Basin
University of Nevada - Reno
University of Illinois-Springfield
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
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 Assistant 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 Assistants 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.
Matthew Cuellar
Associate Professor and BSW Program ChairUniversity of Alaska Anchorage
Social Work
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
Matthew Cuellar: Understanding how to use AI, balancing ethics in a changing and increasingly diverse world, and incorporating fresh and new perspectives in to old and unchanged processes within rigid climates. Respect and understanding of all voices is and will continue to be key to effective social work practice, education, and scholarship.
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW
Associate Professor of Social WorkCampbellsville University
Social Work
What Social Services Assistant 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 Social Services Assistants 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 will help Social Services Assistants 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 Assistant?
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 Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Elisa Martin Ph.D., MSW: Social workers are committed to creating a more socially just world through social change. People who are invested in helping others find social work values resonate and pursue their careers with passion. That said, social work is a demanding profession, and it is important to take care of yourself so you can stay committed to the work without burning out.
What Social Services Assistant 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 Assistant 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 will help Social Services Assistants increase their earning potential?
Cynthia Peters MSW: Social Work is a profession that can be in many places: hospital, university, government agencies, fire departments, court systems, homeless shelters, behavioral health facilities, schools, private practices, non-profit agencies, hospice care, senior programs, just to name a few. So depending on where a social workers find a job will determine what they do on a day to day basis.
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 Assistant?
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 Social Services Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christine Kiewra: This profession includes information that everyone needs to be a functioning adult in society (family finance, human development, close relationships).
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
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 Social Services Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Cindy Snell: Your first job out of school is not often your “dream job”. Consider it as an important step in your career journey. Evaluate job offers holistically, including salary & benefits, skill building, moving towards advanced licensure, good supervision and office culture. There are many ways to contribute to the field of social work. You will find your way on the way. Create a support network. This can include friends to have fun with, social work classmates to form a peer advising group, a mentor to help you chart your career path. Create your self-care strategy and stick with it. Bring joy, reduce stress, step away. Use continuing education requirements to advance your career.
What will help Social Services Assistants increase their earning potential?
Cindy Snell: Working effectively with diverse populations. This includes knowing your own biases, speaking another language, and continually striving for cultural competence. Openness to learning/integrating new technologies and careful consideration of their impact on the services you provide clients. These could include telehealth, record keeping, and the use of AI. Advocacy. Social workers need to advocate for their clients but also for policies that affect their clients and the field of social work. Social workers also need to remember to advocate for themselves and know this is not selfish but often allows them to be more effective social workers.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
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 Social Services Assistants increase their earning potential?
Camille Coleman: Organizational management is a more necessary prevalent skill due to the importance of documentation and the advancement of telehealth services. Learning multiple EHR (electronic health records) systems as well as being proactive in knowing the laws as it pertains to provide therapeutic services within multiple states.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
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 Assistants 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 Assistant?
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 Assistant 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 Assistant 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 general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
Nicole Willis Ph.D., LMSW: Maximizing your salary first starts with doing the groundwork in the junior and senior year of the Social Work program. You'll want to have a strong and competitive professional resume that show how you stand-out from the other job seekers. The second phase is during the entry-level job interview phase. Best advice I ever received about salary is to NOT accept the first salary offered right away. Let your potential employer know that you'd like a day or two to think about the offer. During those two days, do your homework. Find out what is the average pay for like positions there and in other organizations. Talk with mentors you have within your professional network to get their thoughts on your offer. Don't be afraid to negotiate salary or negotiate the possibility that the potential employer would include paying for you to participate in a conference every year so you can earn the CEUs you need to maintain your Social Work license. In Social Work, we utilize great humility when working with clients and client systems. However, when in the office interviewing and considering that salary offer, put that humility aside for a while and think like a business person.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
Candace Riddley: To ensure that salary potential is maximized in the field of social work, it is imperative that certifications/licenses in the field are obtained, resumes are clean and reflect true experiences, and effective communication is shown. It is also very important that candidates for any position have a quality that sticks out from other potential candidates. This could encompass great leadership skills, verbal skills, or a combination of both.
What will help Social Services Assistants 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 Assistants 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.
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 Assistant 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 hard/technical skills are most important for Social Services Assistants?
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 skills stand out on Social Services Assistant resumes?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: Social workers are at the forefront of providing health and mental health services in the nation. There are many specializations that social workers can work in, and the skills that stand out on a resume are dependent on the type of social worker. For example, for a clinician, some top skills to include would be:
-clinical experience (therapeutic skills)
-ability to work with individuals, families, and groups from different ethnicities and backgrounds.
-case management
-resource management
-advocacy
-documentation
What soft skills should all Social Services Assistants 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 hard/technical skills are most important for Social Services Assistants?
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.: Social workers often develop community-based partnerships, including partnerships with activist organizations to implement reform towards racial and social justice; advance equity policies for BIPOC and LGBTQ populations. The top technical skills that are required of a social worker to be successful include
-grant writing
-program evaluation
-writing skills
-project management
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Assistant?
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 soft skills should all Social Services Assistants possess?
Youngjin Kang Ph.D.: I believe that interpersonal skills (e.g., communication) are the most important skills. Human services professionals work with people from diverse backgrounds. They play an important role in the lives of those in need, between parties (e.g., court systems and agency), and make positive changes in a broader context as an advocate. To be able to do so, communication skills are essential. These skills include but are not limited to active listening, responding with influence, showing empathy and respect, knowing how to say no when there are boundaries, expressing the needs of the client in a professional manner, sending and responding to emails in a professional manner, using various communication methods properly, and using both verbal and nonverbal languages appropriately.
What skills will help Social Services Assistants 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.