How To Become A Social Services Supervisor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a social services supervisor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Barbara Peterson,

Dr. T. Thao Pham Ph.D.

The average social services supervisor salary is $58,822. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an social work major. It usually takes 6-12 months of experience to become a social services supervisor. Social services supervisors with a Certification in Forensic Social Work (CFSW) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 12% and produce 52,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a social services supervisor?

Barbara Peterson

Professor of Human Resources, Tacoma Community College

The work we do in Human Services and mental health is hard. We hear stories from people every day that are heart-wrenching. To be effective, we must take care of ourselves first. This is not being selfish. Just as we hear from the flight attendants every time we fly, we must put our oxygen masks on before assisting others. Self-care is vital and should be practiced every day. Self-care is about creating and maintaining a balanced life that includes proper nutrition, plenty of sleep, exercise, and creative activities and hobbies. Self-care also includes developing healthy relationships with people away from work and, when needed, a mental health professional's visit.

ScoreSocial Services SupervisorUS Average

Salary

4.6

Avg. Salary $58,822

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.60%

Asian 6.72%

Black or African American 15.25%

Hispanic or Latino 16.72%

Unknown 4.65%

White 55.07%

Gender

female 80.83%

male 19.17%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a social services supervisor

Explore social services supervisor education requirements

Most common social services supervisor degrees

Bachelor's

59.6 %

Master's

33.2 %

Associate

5.1 %

Start to develop specific social services supervisor skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	27.24%
Mental Health	8.84%
Community Resources	5.45%
Crisis Intervention	4.66%
Substance Abuse	4.42%

Complete relevant social services supervisor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New social services supervisors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a social services supervisor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real social services supervisor resumes.

Research social services supervisor duties and responsibilities

Collaborate with partners including public and private agencies to achieve permanency for children.
Interpret Medicaid and Medicare policies and procedures.
Complete Medicaid billing tickets providing accurate codes for services provide.
Coordinate admissions of active duty service members and veterans to the inpatient rehabilitation/medical unit after suffering a new spinal cord injury.

Prepare your social services supervisor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your social services supervisor resume.

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