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There were 1.9 million community and social service occupations jobs in 2011, accounting for less than 1.5 percent of U.S. employment. The largest occupation in the community and social service occupations group was social and human service assistants, with employment of 359,860.
Employment for selected community and social services occupations, May 2011
Occupation title
Employment
Social and human service assistants
359,860
Child, family, and school social workers
276,510
Educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors
244,560
Healthcare social workers
133,890
Community and social service specialists, all other*
121,580
Clergy
42,560
Marriage and family therapists
33,990
Counselors, all other
27,140
Directors, religious activities and education
17,560
Religious workers, all other
7,660
NOTE: Occupation titles followed by * have the same title but not necessarily the same content as 2010 SOC occupations.
Other large occupations included child, family, and school social workers (276,510); and educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors (244,560). Religious workers, all other (7,660); directors, religious activities and education (17,560); and counselors, all other (27,140) were the smallest community and social service occupations.
People who work in community and social service occupations perform a diverse array of duties that may include counseling individuals, providing social assistance to families, and offering spiritual and moral guidance to members of a faith.
Community and social service occupations had an annual mean wage of $43,830, which was just below the U.S. all-occupations mean wage of $45,230. Some of the highest-paying occupations in the community and social service group were educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors ($56,540); health educators ($52,150); and probation officers and correctional treatment specialists ($52,110).
Annual mean wages for selected community and social service occupations, May 2011
Occupation
Annual mean wage
Educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors
$56,540
Social workers, all other
54,220
Health educators
52,150
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
52,110
Healthcare social workers
50,500
All occupations, U.S.
45,230
Child, family, and school social workers
44,410
Community and social service occupations
43,830
Community and social service occupations, all other*
41,250
Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
41,030
Rehabilitation counselors
37,070
Religious workers, all other
31,600
Social and human service assistants
30,710
NOTE: Occupation titles followed by * have the same title but not necessarily the same content as 2010 SOC occupations.
Two of the lowest-paying occupations, social and human service assistants ($30,710) and religious workers, all other ($31,600), had the highest (359,860) and lowest (7,660) employment, respectively, in the occupational group.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Community and social service occupations in 2011 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2012/ted_20121108.htm (visited September 10, 2024).
United States Department of Labor
