Social and Human Service Assistants Salary: $45,120 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 424,220 social and human service assistants work nationally, and $45,120 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 7% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.2% annual growth.
Social and Human Service Assistants: what the data shows
Common questions about social and human service assistants careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a social and human service assistants?
Social and Human Service Assistants is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 21-1093.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 424,220 workers.
What does a social and human service assistants do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships, Assisting and Caring for Others, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a social and human service assistants make?
BLS national median annual wage: $45,120 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $56,515 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $39,320 |
| 25th percentile | $46,778 |
| Median (50th) | $53,187 |
| 75th percentile | $63,110 |
| 90th percentile | $76,155 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Coordination, Reading Comprehension, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is social and human service assistants in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 22.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 50.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 424,220.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do social and human service assistantss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 424,220 | 18.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 326,370 | 13.8% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 277,510 | 11.8% |
| Social Assistance | 178,600 | 7.6% |
| Individual and Family Services | 125,520 | 5.3% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 97,840 | 4.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Social and Human Service Assistants in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 92,580 | $49,440 |
| Human Resources Managers | 215,520 | $140,030 |
| Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs | 156,260 | $51,500 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 182,320 | $60,990 |
| Instructional Coordinators | 210,850 | $74,720 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Social and Human Service Assistants workforce.
Employment Over Time
424,220 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Social and Human Service Assistants grew from 119,280 in 2009 to 229,980 in 2025 (92.8%).
Historical employment for Social and Human Service Assistants from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$45,120 Median pay (BLS national)
Social and Human Service Assistants earn $45,120 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 58,830 employees, $55,020 avg wage
- NY: 40,700 employees, $48,710 avg wage
- PA: 23,590 employees, $45,190 avg wage
- TX: 21,890 employees, $45,140 avg wage
- FL: 21,820 employees, $44,440 avg wage
- IL: 20,460 employees, $49,600 avg wage
- NJ: 15,060 employees, $52,840 avg wage
- MI: 12,920 employees, $42,600 avg wage
- MA: 11,870 employees, $52,770 avg wage
- IN: 11,410 employees, $42,570 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Social and Human Service Assistants.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 34,540 employees, $51,150 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 18,720 employees, $53,690 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 14,890 employees, $49,680 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 11,830 employees, $47,270 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 7,770 employees, $52,750 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 7,540 employees, $60,770 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 7,380 employees, $51,470 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 6,760 employees, $52,100 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 6,640 employees, $55,840 avg wage
- Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 5,440 employees, $51,120 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 U.S. workforce for Social and Human Service Assistants is about 424,220 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Social and Human Service Assistants earn $45,120 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 424,220 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.