Career
Social and human service assistants
Connect people with the services and support they need.
$45,930
Median pay
+7.4%
Job growth, 2025–35
48,900
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.
- Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
- Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
- Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures.
- Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking, Service Orientation.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $45,930 a year and 48,900 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Human Development and Family StudiesSee the degree →
- Human ServicesSee the degree →
- Developmental Services WorkerCIP 19.0710
- Human Services, GeneralCIP 44.0000
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers$59,550 · +4.4%
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers$60,280 · +10.3%
- Healthcare Social Workers$67,880 · +8.5%
- Marriage and Family Therapists$66,940 · +13.5%
- Mental Health Counselors
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.