Career Opportunities

Opportunities for human service workers and assistants are expected to be excellent, particularly for applicants with appropriate postsecondary education. The number of human service workers and assistants is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations between 1998 and 2008—ranking among the most rapidly growing occupations. The need to replace workers who move into new positions due to advancement, retirement, or for other reasons will create many additional job opportunities. This occupation, however, is not attractive to everyone. It can be draining emotionally and the pay is relatively low. Qualified applicants should have little difficulty finding employment.

• Social services, except child-care, ranks among the fastest growing industries.
• About 2 out of 3 jobs are in professional, technical, and service occupations.
• Human service workers and assistants— the ninth fastest growing occupation— are concentrated in social services.
• Average earnings are low because of the large number of part-time and low-paying service jobs.

Public assistance programs have been employing more human service workers and assistants in an attempt to employ fewer social workers, who are more educated, thus more highly paid.

Source: Massachusetts Division of Employment and Training, Research Department

For additional information on trends and wages for human service careers

• America’s Career Infonet (web site)
• Massachusetts Department of Employment and Training
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance