Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for social services case managers in the United States
Are social services case manager jobs in demand?
Social services case manager job and salary trends over time
Social services case manager jobs over time
Social services case manager job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,214 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 3,227 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 3,263 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 3,165 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 3,099 | 0.00% |
Average social services case manager salary over time
Social services case manager salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $31,854 | $15.31 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | $31,057 | $14.93 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $29,897 | $14.37 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $29,339 | $14.11 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | $28,178 | $13.55 | +3.2% |
Social services case manager jobs by state
Most common states for social services case managers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 363 | 52% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,479 | 36% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,647 | 30% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 905 | 29% |
| 5 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 373 | 28% |
| 6 | Alaska | 739,795 | 181 | 24% |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 239 | 23% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 235 | 22% |
| 9 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 1,553 | 21% |
| 10 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,301 | 21% |
| 11 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 362 | 21% |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 283 | 21% |
| 13 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 384 | 20% |
| 14 | Delaware | 961,939 | 192 | 20% |
| 15 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 178 | 20% |
| 16 | Vermont | 623,657 | 126 | 20% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 114 | 20% |
| 18 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 2,413 | 19% |
| 19 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,056 | 19% |
| 20 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 651 | 18% |
Most common cities for social services case managers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oceanside | 1 | 1% | $41,304 |
| 2 | Colorado Springs | 1 | 0% | $32,838 |
| 3 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $42,248 |
| 4 | San Jose | 1 | 0% | $42,217 |
Social Services Case Manager job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of social services case manager experts
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Baruch College of the City University of New York
Ramapo College of New Jersey
Ohio University
Colorado State University - Pueblo
College of Saint Scholastica
University of Alaska Anchorage
Metropolitan State University
University of Indianapolis
Campbellsville University
Virginia Wesleyan University
Pennsylvania State University
Siena College
Nebraska Christian College
What will help Social Services Case Managers 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.
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorOhio State University
Human Development, Family Studies, And Related Services
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.: The best way to maximize your salary potential is to do your homework. Start with self-awareness. What can and will you be able to contribute to the organization that will help the organization achieve their goals. Be able to “sell” your strengths, fit with the position, and areas for future growth. It is important to have realistic salary expectations while also sharpen your negotiation skills. Research to find out what are people in similar positions making in your community.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.: My advice to HDFS graduates beginning their careers is to seek out opportunities that align with your passions and will allow you to utilize your academic knowledge and skills to help children and families in meaningful ways.
What will help Social Services Case Managers increase their earning potential?
Deanna Wilkinson Ph.D.: In the next 3-5 years, technology, diversity and inclusion, and problem-solving skills will become more important in the field of HDFS. The helping professions will play an important role as technology continues to reshape human daily life and social interactions.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
L. Justin Wheeler: There are often salary discrepancies between settings – for example, hospital and government settings tend to have higher salaries than private nonprofit, community behavioral health, or education settings. Even so, within the same agency there can be higher earning potential in different programs, depending on many factors including demand and program funding source and type. Knowing your local market and opportunities is important, as is locating salary data for social workers and related fields. Pursuing skill development through training, supervised practice, and consultation in areas of interest can improve marketability.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
L. Justin Wheeler: Technology including telehealth, electronic medical records systems, AI, practice evaluation data collection, and other areas will continue to grow and require ethical and proficient users. There will always be a need for social workers to help shape policies and legislation based on human needs and human rights, so leadership, advocacy, and facilitation skills are important. And as loneliness and behavioral health needs expand, the core relationship-building and problem-solving skills social workers learn will be in high demand.
What will help Social Services Case Managers increase their earning potential?
L. Justin Wheeler: One of the best ways to improve skills, continue to learn, and access support is to work as part of a team – take advantage of opportunities for group supervision, peer consultation, and interprofessional collaboration.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
Timothy Aubry: I don’t think people should try to maximize their salary potential. I think graduates should find a salary they can live on and prioritize finding a fulfilling job. If their primary concern is money, they are seeing the job as a means to something else, and the money itself is just a means to some other kind of satisfaction. They’ll be unhappy at work and try to make up for it by buying things they probably won’t have any time to enjoy—justifying the miserable job they have. I’d suggest finding a job that is not just a means to an end, but that allows you to feel happy while you are working, fulfilled in what you are doing. In that kind of situation, as long as you can pay the bills, you won’t care as much whether you’re making more than your neighbors and your friends, since you won’t be measuring the value of your life by how much money you make.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
Dr. Timmesha Butler-Davis PhD, LCSW: Social work encompasses a vast array of roles, making it challenging to pinpoint a specific day-to-day function. Social workers operate in a generalist capacity, providing direct services like therapy, case management, or client advocacy. Alternatively, they may engage in macro-level activities such as policy advocacy, organizational leadership, or education. A typical day might involve individual client sessions, documenting clinical notes, planning therapeutic interventions, or advocating on Capitol Hill. At its essence, social work strives to challenge social injustices and foster a more equitable society.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
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 Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Pamela Richmond Ph.D.: Social workers are trained to understand and intervene on three levels—micro (individuals and families), mezzo (formal groups and organizations) and macro (community and the broader society). Given the challenges currently taking place nationally and internationally such as poverty, immigration, abortion controversy, societal racism/discrimination and the war in the middle east, social workers are trained to intervene and advocate for change on a variety of system levels.
What will help Social Services Case Managers 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.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nancy Kelley PhD: Probably the first piece of advice I would give to graduates beginning their social work career is to keep an open mind-- one never knows what life might bring, so opportunities may arise that you weren't expecting. Every professional encounter provides an opportunity for experience and professional development that will inevitably advance one's career. Secondly, every professional experience, whether positive or negative, has take-aways and lessons learned so be prepared to find the silver lining in all you do. Third, don't give up; persistence and patience usually pays off in the long run when you are committed to a cause. Sometimes social workers undertake a lot of trial-and-error before successfully accomplishing our goals. Fourth, be sure to practice self-care; we cannot help other people if we do not care for ourselves first. We need to be able to 'practice what we preach,' so to speak, and give ourselves permission to prioritize self-care and seek support when needed. Lastly, remember that cultural competency is a life-long, career-long process. In order to expand our cultural competency, we need to continuously practice cultural humility when interfacing with diversity in all of its forms by embracing lifelong learning and self-reflection, mitigating power imbalances, and aspiring for institutional accountability.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Michele Sneed DSW, LGSW: The profession of social work is experiencing a remarkable surge in employment opportunities, with projections indicating above-average growth. This combined with the profession's flexibility, competitive wages, and sense of fulfillment makes social work a wonderful career path.
Matthew Cuellar
Associate Professor and BSW Program ChairUniversity of Alaska Anchorage
Social Work
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
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.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Matthew Cuellar: Pave a road that involves work you love to do. Maximizing salary potential is not just about making more money. It is about striking the optimal life/work balance for compensation that a given individual finds acceptable to meet their unique needs.
What will help Social Services Case Managers increase their earning potential?
Matthew Cuellar: Be familiar with licensure and/or other professional requirements and keep your long-term goal in focus. Network as much as possible, and be open to different perspectives and ideas that you might not be familiar with. Choose a path that involves working within your passion, and be proud to be a change agent for the people you represent.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
Monica Bies: It can make sense to have a salary range in mind and do not hesitate to negotiate. Although it may feel uncomfortable, it is a regular and accepted practice. A new social worker might also ask about various roles and opportunities for growth and advancement within the agency.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Monica Bies: I can’t emphasize enough the importance of consistent and supportive supervision that allows one to continue to expand knowledge and skills.
What will help Social Services Case Managers increase their earning potential?
Monica Bies: An ability to incorporate anti-racist and anti-oppressive practices and policies that advance equity in all settings in which we live and work.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lynell Cooper MSW, LCSW: Being empathetic will enhance your ability to connect with clients, while resilience will help you manage emotional stress effectively. Fostering a lens of cultural humility will serve as a conduit to success and effectiveness.
Dr. Kimberly Mudd-Fegett DSW, MSSW
Associate Professor of Social WorkCampbellsville University
Social Work
What Social Services Case Manager 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.
Dr. Jennifer Slivka
Associate Professor of EnglishVirginia Wesleyan University
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, And Group Studies
What will help Social Services Case Managers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jennifer Slivka: Because of its interdisciplinary nature, Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies already offers students diverse perspectives that prepare them for the multi-faceted, complex viewpoints they will encounter in graduate study and in the workplace. In particular, soft skills will become even more important. These skills include communication, critical thinking and problem solving, empathy, collaboration, community-building, leadership, and adaptability. The field is dynamic, so being able to continue to learn and grow after graduation is a necessity.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. J. Lendrum PhD: It will become increasingly important to use non-violent communication skills and empathy that you practiced and developed in your academic programs. As the world becomes more diverse, tapping into the cultural competency skills will also become increasingly useful.
What will help Social Services Case Managers 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 Case Managers 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 Case Manager?
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 will help Social Services Case Managers 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 Social Services Case Manager?
Dr. Dexter Voisin: Social work is a diverse profession, and social workers engage in a wide variety of roles from clinicians, policy analysts, community workers, advocates, child welfare workers, mental health counselors, and many others.
What Social Services Case Manager skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Dexter Voisin: There is a robust demand for social workers, and it is one of the fastest-growing professions in the country. Many states are not able to fill the growing demand for social workers to respond to the growing demand for mental health and substance abuse counselors.
What general advice would you give to a Social Services Case Manager?
Cynthia Peters MSW: When people hear the word social worker, they immediately think about the folks that take children from their families due to some report of abuse. They have a tendency to immediately not like what they think is social work. Social Work is so much more than working for DCS. What I like about Social Work is that there are so many jobs/careers you can walk into and utilize the skill you learned about the profession. Your job title does not need to be Social Worker. I know a social worker that is the Director of Public Works; Recreation Coordinator; Minister; Assistant to in the Governor's Office; Victim Advocate; Management Assistant; Council person; Governor; Senator. The sky is the limit to what career or job a social worker can do.
What will help Social Services Case Managers 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 will help Social Services Case Managers increase their earning potential?
Christine Kiewra: Human Development Specialists have many options including specializing in working with young children, families, and elderly clients. Specialists can pursue working in large or small businesses, non-profit agencies, education, or government agencies.