Social and Human Service Assistants: salary, outlook & degrees
Assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care.
Middle half $38,150–$54,350. 437,860 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
62% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $47,730.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 48,900 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 16% | Psychology |
| Social Work | 9% | Social Work |
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 7% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Sociology | 4% | Sociology |
| Family And Consumer Sciences | 4% | Human Development and Family Studies · Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services |
| Political Science And Government | 3% | Political Science |
| Communications | 3% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Human Services And Community Organization | 2% | Human Services · Community Organization and Advocacy |
| English Language And Literature | 2% | English |
| Business Management And Administration | 2% | Business Administration |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $59,460 |
| Washington | $54,770 |
| Oregon | $51,230 |
| California | $51,090 |
| Minnesota | $49,940 |
| New Jersey | $48,420 |
| Rhode Island | $47,720 |
| Maine | $47,710 |
| Colorado | $47,690 |
| Idaho | $47,540 |
| Wisconsin | $47,500 |
| Alaska | $47,360 |
| Maryland | $47,210 |
| New York | $47,190 |
| Massachusetts | $47,130 |
| Illinois | $46,950 |
| New Hampshire | $46,950 |
| Vermont | $46,640 |
| New Mexico | $46,340 |
| North Dakota | $46,260 |
| Texas | $45,860 |
| Wyoming | $45,290 |
| Connecticut | $44,730 |
| Indiana | $44,550 |
| Florida | $44,410 |
| Pennsylvania | $44,050 |
| Virginia | $43,450 |
| North Carolina | $42,850 |
| Kansas | $42,570 |
| Iowa | $42,480 |
| Hawaii | $42,400 |
| Missouri | $41,780 |
| Arizona | $40,730 |
| Delaware | $40,710 |
| Tennessee | $40,310 |
| Utah | $39,930 |
| Georgia | $39,480 |
| West Virginia | $39,290 |
| Michigan | $39,160 |
| Nebraska | $38,940 |
| GU | $38,920 |
| Montana | $38,570 |
| Nevada | $38,570 |
| South Carolina | $38,550 |
| Ohio | $38,390 |
| South Dakota | $38,350 |
| Kentucky | $37,440 |
| VI | $37,150 |
| Arkansas | $36,770 |
| Oklahoma | $36,740 |
| Alabama | $35,830 |
| Louisiana | $35,780 |
| PR | $31,570 |
| Mississippi | $31,200 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$45,370
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$45,000
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$44,030
- Jacksonville$44,420
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$45,750
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$45,680
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$45,490
- Tallahassee$42,530
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$48,370
- Richmond$42,170
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$39,160
- Roanoke$37,490
- Lynchburg$36,530
- Kingsport-Bristol$37,310
- Winchester$38,530
- Staunton-Stuarts Draft$41,040
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$50,330
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$57,580
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$49,500
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$48,370
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$53,810
- Fresno$47,260
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$60,650
- Bakersfield-Delano$48,280
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Administrative
Work styles
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Dependability
- Social Orientation
- Sincerity
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Conventional (organizing), Enterprising (leading) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Social and Human Service Assistants: questions
How much do social and Human Service Assistants make?
Social and Human Service Assistants earn a U.S. median $45,930 a year; the middle half earn $38,150 to $54,350 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $43,259 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is social and Human Service Assistants a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 48,900 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a social and Human Service Assistant?
BLS lists the typical entry education as high school diploma or equivalent. In O*NET's survey, 55% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is psychology (16%).
How much do social and Human Service Assistants make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $44,410 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $45,930 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 21-1093. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Social and Human Service Assistants: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/social-and-human-service-assistants.