Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Social and Human Service Assistants salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$49,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$4,000
8.4% of base
Total target cash
$53,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$2,50050th$4,00075th$6,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Social and Human Service Assistants is a professional role within the function in the Community and Social Service job family.
Typical entry preparation: Bachelor's Degree and up to 2 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.
Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures.
Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
Top skills:SpeakingSocial PerceptivenessActive ListeningService OrientationReading ComprehensionCoordination
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Social and Human Service Assistants pay by experience level
Entry level$35,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$39,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$47,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$56,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$65,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+6.4%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
50,600
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Social and Human Service Assistants salary by industry
Social Assistance
182,250 workers
$47,000
Individual and Family Services
128,540 workers
$47,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
84,730 workers
$56,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
51,420 workers
$56,500
Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
45,690 workers
$44,500
Ambulatory Health Care Services
42,180 workers
$47,500
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services
36,250 workers
$46,500
Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations
32,020 workers
$50,500
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
31,990 workers
$55,500
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities
29,030 workers
$43,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 210,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
75.2%
White
73.8%
Black or African American
16.6%
Asian
3.9%
Hispanic or Latino
19.4%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $35,960 to $45,930.
+27.7% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$35,500
Early career25th percentile
$39,500
Median50th percentile
$47,500
Experienced75th percentile
$56,500
Top earners90th percentile
$65,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.
Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures.
Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional, Administrative, or Executive exemption
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Exempt when paid above the salary threshold, provided they satisfy the duties test for one of the FLSA exemption categories. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$49,500
2027$51,000
2028$53,000
2029$55,000
2030$57,000
2031$59,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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StateYears of experienceCurrent salary
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Social and Human Service Assistants make?
The median market pay for a Social and Human Service Assistants in the United States is about $49,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Social and Human Service Assistants?
Most Social and Human Service Assistants pay falls between about $39,500 (25th percentile) and $56,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $65,500.
What does a Social and Human Service Assistants do?
Core responsibilities include: assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions; and develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
Is pay for Social and Human Service Assistants roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $35,960 in 2020 to $45,930 in 2025, a change of +27.7% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Social and Human Service Assistants pays 26% below the average across 17 roles in the Community and Social Service job family (family average $66,500).
Similar-paying roles in Community and Social Service
Need Social and Human Service Assistants pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
