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
- Social workers, all other$69,480
- Healthcare social workers$68,090
- Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors$65,140
- Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists$64,520
- Marriage and family therapists$63,780
- Health education specialists$63,000
- Clergy$60,820
- Mental health and substance abuse social workers$60,060
- Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors$59,190
- Child, family, and school social workers$58,570
- Community and social service specialists, all other$54,940
- Directors, religious activities and education$54,840
- Community health workers$51,030
- Counselors, all other$49,830
- Rehabilitation counselors$46,110
- Religious workers, all other$45,120
- Social and human service assistants$45,120
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.