Social and Human Service Assistants is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 6.5% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

58,830
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$56,515
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Social and Human Service Assistants workforce.

Employment Over Time

58,830 Workforce in 2023

The Social and Human Service Assistants workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$56,515 Average Wage

In 2023, Social and Human Service Assistants earned an average of $56,515.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Salary distribution for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Employment Growth Projections

4.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

282,351 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 22.8%

346,650 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 50.7%

This occupation is projected to grow at 4.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Social and Human Service Assistants and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Social and Human Service Assistants employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Wage Trends by Industry

7.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 51,940 employees, $56,956 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 15,030 employees, $55,027 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 6,640 employees, $57,358 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 5,040 employees, $52,663 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 3,680 employees, $55,665 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 3,630 employees, $63,644 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 3,600 employees, $57,717 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 3,510 employees, $61,344 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 2,160 employees, $64,116 avg wage
  • Fresno MSA: 1,790 employees, $50,445 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 1,060 employees, $56,104 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Diversity

Demographic information on Social and Human Service Assistants in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Social and Human Service Assistants in 2023 was 58,830 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Social and Human Service Assistants in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.

Common majors for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Social and Human Service Assistants workers.

Education level distribution for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Skills

Social and Human Service Assistants need many skills, but most especially Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Coordination.

Required skills for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Social and Human Service Assistants include Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, English Language, Administrative.

Knowledge areas required for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Social and Human Service Assistants include Oral Expression, Written Expression, Oral Comprehension, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.

Required abilities for Social and Human Service Assistants.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Social and Human Service Assistants.

Daily Activities

Social and Human Service Assistants spend their time on activities such as Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Most important work activities for Social and Human Service Assistants.

About

Social and Human Service Assistants

The average yearly wage for Social and Human Service Assistants was $56,515 in 2023.

SOC Code

21-1093 - Social and Human Service Assistants

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Social and Human Service Assistants reports an average salary of $56,515.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 58,830 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 4.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.