How To Become A Social Worker Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a social worker assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Virginia Schwindt,

Dr. T. Thao Pham Ph.D.

Social worker assistants help people in need by offering advice, implementing treatment plans, and giving access to community services. Interacting with clients is a huge part of the role, but when they're not out in the field, social worker assistants spend a lot of time coordinating with agencies and handling paperwork.

Some of the functions that they perform in this capacity include recommending community service, assisting social workers, interviewing and assessing clients, designing various treatment plans, monitoring individual progress, facilitating group activities, and managing information. Essential skills required for the job include empathy, interpersonal, problem solving, emotional intelligence, and computer proficiency. The minimum educational requirement for this is an associate's or a bachelor's degree in social work, humanitarian services, or a related field. However, employers do occasionally accept individuals with a high school diploma or a GED, provided they have relevant proven work experience.

Along with the mental satisfaction of helping others, the job offers generous monetary compensation. The average hourly pay for the position is $18.44, which amounts to $38,364 annually. The career is expected to grow in the following years and create new opportunities across the United States.

What general advice would you give to a social worker assistant?

Virginia Schwindt

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.

ScoreSocial Worker AssistantUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,542

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 2.16%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 11.97%

Hispanic or Latino 21.77%

Unknown 5.18%

White 51.92%

Gender

female 65.10%

male 34.90%

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 worker assistant

Explore social worker assistant education requirements

Most common social worker assistant degrees

Bachelor's

57.8 %

Associate

16.6 %

Master's

11.6 %

Start to develop specific social worker assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	21.66%
Patients	14.04%
Public Assistance	10.93%
Community Resources	5.36%
Mental Health	4.91%

Complete relevant social worker assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New social workers assistant 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 worker assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real social worker assistant resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed social worker assistant usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed social worker assistant in most of states. 32 states require social workers assistant to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Kansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Master Social Worker
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW)
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Certified Social Worker
Hawaii	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Social Worker
Idaho	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Social Workers

Research social worker assistant duties and responsibilities

Manage the clinic's Medicaid enrollment process and assist clients with their application process under proper guidance.
Assist patients in coping with their lifestyle changes and overall help patients achieve optimum independence and reduce re-hospitalizations.
Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Refer patients and their families to relevant community resources and coordinate with social services at other community agencies.

Prepare your social worker assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your social worker assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a social worker assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable social worker assistant resume templates

Build a professional social worker assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your social worker assistant resume.