Career field
Community & Social Service careers
Occupations that counsel, support, and serve individuals and communities. CampusPin lists 17 community & social service occupations, with median pay ranging from $45,120 to $69,480 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
17
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$45,120–$69,480
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$59,190
median of these medians
Most common entry education
Bachelor's degree
across 17 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- Bachelor's degree: 8
- Master's degree: 7
- High school diploma or equivalent: 2
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social and human service assistants | $45,120 | 50,600 | +6.4% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors | $59,190 | 48,300 | +16.8% | Master's degree |
| Child, family, and school social workers | $58,570 | 35,100 | +3.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors | $65,140 | 31,000 | +3.5% | Master's degree |
| Clergy | $60,820 | 23,000 | +1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Healthcare social workers | $68,090 | 18,400 | +7.7% | Master's degree |
| Directors, religious activities and education | $54,840 | 13,800 | +2.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Mental health and substance abuse social workers | $60,060 | 13,500 | +9.7% | Master's degree |
| Community and social service specialists, all other | $54,940 | 13,100 | +4.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Religious workers, all other | $45,120 | 11,100 | +0.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Rehabilitation counselors | $46,110 | 10,000 | +1.4% | Master's degree |
| Health education specialists | $63,000 | 7,900 | +4.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists | $64,520 | 7,900 | +2.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Community health workers | $51,030 | 7,800 | +11.3% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Marriage and family therapists | $63,780 | 7,700 | +12.6% | Master's degree |
| Counselors, all other | $49,830 | 7,400 | +12.6% | Master's degree |
| Social workers, all other | $69,480 | 7,000 | +3.9% | Bachelor's degree |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the community & social service field?
CampusPin lists 17 community & social service occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Social workers, all other, Healthcare social workers, Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors, Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do community & social service careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $45,120 to $69,480 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $59,190. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do community & social service careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is bachelor's degree. 8 occupations list bachelor's degree; 7 occupations list master's degree; 2 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent.
Which community & social service careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors (+16.8%), Marriage and family therapists (+12.6%), Counselors, all other (+12.6%), Community health workers (+11.3%), Mental health and substance abuse social workers (+9.7%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across community & social service occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.