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Field of degree: Public policy and social services

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Table 1. Public policy and social services degree, 2021
Data	Public policy and social services	All fields
Employment	966,870	59,687,450
Median wage	50,000	63,000
Percent employed part time	16	14
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	64	62
Percent with an advanced degree	51	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of public policy and social services, 2021
Public policy and social services majors	Major share
Social Work	66%
Human Services And Community Organization	15
Public Administration	11
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, 2021
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Community and social service occupations	31%
Management occupations	16
Office and administrative support occupations	9
Educational instruction and library occupations	8
Business and financial operations occupations	7
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 2022–32	Typical entry-level education	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2021	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2021
Medical and health services managers	28%	Bachelor's degree	2%	31%
Therapists, all other	12	Bachelor's degree	2	62
Social and community service managers	9	Bachelor's degree	3	33
Social and human service assistants	9	High school diploma or equivalent	2	17
Lawyers	8	Doctoral or professional degree	2	91
Social workers, all other	7	Bachelor's degree	18	44
Registered nurses	6	Bachelor's degree	2	13
Educational, guidance, and career counselors and advisors	5	Master's degree	2	62
Managers, all other	3	Bachelor's degree	4	21
Elementary school teachers, except special education	1	Bachelor's degree	2	49
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 October 06, 2023).

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 6, 2023