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Field of degree: Public policy and social services

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Table 1. Public policy and social services degree, 2022
Data	Public policy and social services	All fields
Employment	964,960	62,187,580
Median wage	52,000	66,000
Percent employed part time	16	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	64	62
Percent with an advanced degree	50	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of public policy and social services, 2022
Public policy and social services majors	Major share
Social Work	66%
Human Services And Community Organization	16
Public Administration	9
Public Policy	8
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a public policy and social services degree, by occupational group, 2022
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Community and social service occupations	29%
Management occupations	16
Office and administrative support occupations	9
Educational instruction and library occupations	8
Business and financial operations occupations	8
Other	29
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a public policy and social services degree
Occupational Outlook Handbook profile	Percent growth, projected 2023–33	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2022	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2022
Medical and health services managers	29%	Bachelor's degree	2%	31%
Therapists, all other	12	Bachelor's degree	3	63
Social and community service managers	8	Bachelor's degree	3	32
Managers, all other	6	Bachelor's degree	3	21
Registered nurses	6	Bachelor's degree	2	14
Child, family, and school social workers	5	Bachelor's degree	2	32
Lawyers	5	Doctoral or professional degree	2	92
Social workers, all other	5	Bachelor's degree	18	46
Elementary school teachers, except special education	-1	Bachelor's degree	3	49
Customer service representatives	-5	High school diploma or equivalent	2	4
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Public policy and social services,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/public-policy-and-social-services/public-policy-and-social-services-field-of-degree.htm (visited August 04, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024