Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016

21-1093 Social and Human Service Assistants

Assist in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families. May assist clients in identifying and obtaining available benefits and social and community services. May assist social workers with developing, organizing, and conducting programs to prevent and resolve problems relevant to substance abuse, human relationships, rehabilitation, or dependent care. Excludes "Rehabilitation Counselors" (21-1015), "Psychiatric Technicians" (29-2053), "Personal Care Aides" (39-9021), and "Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs" (43-4061).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
360,650 1.0 % $16.41 $34,120 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.00 $12.19 $15.29 $19.25 $24.35
Annual Wage (2) $20,800 $25,350 $31,810 $40,030 $50,640


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Individual and Family Services 93,280 5.52 $15.56 $32,370
Local Government (OES Designation) 44,600 0.83 $19.86 $41,310
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 34,530 5.64 $13.99 $29,100
State Government (OES Designation) 31,370 1.43 $18.37 $38,210
Outpatient Care Centers 19,630 2.35 $15.56 $32,370

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services 19,490 12.10 $14.75 $30,670
Social Advocacy Organizations 16,390 7.98 $16.85 $35,060
Other Residential Care Facilities 12,570 7.78 $14.37 $29,880
Vocational Rehabilitation Services 19,460 5.89 $14.14 $29,420
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities 34,530 5.64 $13.99 $29,100

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Legal Services (8) (8) $25.86 $53,790
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 450 0.03 $22.51 $46,810
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 1,520 0.08 $21.73 $45,200
Scientific Research and Development Services 200 0.03 $21.04 $43,760
Insurance Carriers 350 0.03 $20.90 $43,460


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 41,130 2.58 1.00 $19.77 $41,110
New York 33,350 3.67 1.43 $17.38 $36,140
New Jersey 20,480 5.18 2.02 $17.77 $36,960
Pennsylvania 19,360 3.37 1.31 $15.69 $32,630
Massachusetts 16,760 4.84 1.89 $17.19 $35,750




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Vermont 2,480 8.12 3.16 $16.23 $33,770
New Jersey 20,480 5.18 2.02 $17.77 $36,960
Maine 3,060 5.13 2.00 $15.95 $33,180
Rhode Island 2,400 5.05 1.96 $15.78 $32,820
Minnesota 13,820 4.92 1.91 $16.53 $34,380




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 41,130 2.58 1.00 $19.77 $41,110
District of Columbia 2,020 2.88 1.12 $19.57 $40,710
Connecticut 7,760 4.65 1.81 $19.32 $40,180
Nevada 1,360 1.07 0.42 $18.34 $38,140
Washington 6,100 1.99 0.77 $17.92 $37,270





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 24,850 3.77 1.47 $17.83 $37,100
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 13,720 3.25 1.27 $21.94 $45,630
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 8,050 2.21 0.86 $16.62 $34,570
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 7,820 4.34 1.69 $17.17 $35,710
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 7,780 4.07 1.59 $16.53 $34,380
Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division 5,690 4.91 1.91 $17.35 $36,080
Philadelphia, PA Metropolitan Division 4,910 5.51 2.14 $16.13 $33,540
Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division 4,500 8.69 3.38 $17.28 $35,950
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 4,410 1.77 0.69 $19.45 $40,460
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 4,200 3.13 1.22 $16.82 $34,990




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mankato-North Mankato, MN 860 16.57 6.45 $19.02 $39,560
Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA NECTA Division 1,410 14.82 5.77 $16.72 $34,780
Sumter, SC 430 12.04 4.69 $10.39 $21,610
Duluth, MN-WI 1,490 11.86 4.62 $15.48 $32,200
Johnstown, PA 580 10.76 4.19 $16.85 $35,040
Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 620 10.38 4.04 $18.62 $38,730
El Centro, CA 510 9.55 3.72 $23.33 $48,530
Bismarck, ND 660 8.94 3.48 $16.59 $34,520
Camden, NJ Metropolitan Division 4,500 8.69 3.38 $17.28 $35,950
Provo-Orem, UT 1,740 7.90 3.08 $12.01 $24,980




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Yuba City, CA 70 1.76 0.68 $24.44 $50,840
El Centro, CA 510 9.55 3.72 $23.33 $48,530
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 13,720 3.25 1.27 $21.94 $45,630
La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN 400 5.52 2.15 $21.72 $45,180
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,900 1.82 0.71 $21.60 $44,920
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 1,670 3.98 1.55 $21.49 $44,700
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 2,560 2.40 0.93 $21.08 $43,840
Janesville-Beloit, WI 240 3.77 1.47 $20.86 $43,390
Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA NECTA Division 210 2.71 1.06 $20.58 $42,810
Sheboygan, WI 200 3.38 1.32 $20.22 $42,060

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 1,180 6.29 2.45 $17.33 $36,050
Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 1,070 6.93 2.70 $14.72 $30,620
Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area 1,050 5.74 2.23 $15.67 $32,580
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 900 4.69 1.83 $16.54 $34,410
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 860 4.57 1.78 $16.03 $33,340

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwest Utah nonmetropolitan area 310 13.58 5.29 $11.48 $23,880
Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 860 12.25 4.77 $15.67 $32,590
Central Utah nonmetropolitan area 230 11.07 4.31 $11.40 $23,710
Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 310 8.48 3.30 $13.94 $28,990
East Central New York nonmetropolitan area 290 8.33 3.24 $21.13 $43,950

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Eastern Sierra Region of California nonmetropolitan area 40 2.88 1.12 $21.36 $44,430
Far West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.86 0.33 $21.28 $44,250
East Central New York nonmetropolitan area 290 8.33 3.24 $21.13 $43,950
Far East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 50 2.01 0.78 $20.76 $43,190
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 240 7.11 2.77 $20.57 $42,790


About May 2016 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017