Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.
Also called: Adoption Social Worker · Case Manager · Case Worker · Child Protective Services Social Worker (CPS Social Worker) · Family Protection Specialist · Family Resource Coordinator
Median pay (national)
$58,570
$40,580–$94,030 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
382,960
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.4%
~35,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for child, family, and school social workers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $94,030 versus $40,580 at the bottom 10% — 2.3x. The median of $58,570 leaves roughly 61% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.4% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 35,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, Connecticut pays the most for this role (median $78,940, +35% vs the national median), while Guam sits lowest at $40,880 — a 93% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Science
- Mathematics
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
- Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
- Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
- Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.
- Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required.
- Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.
- Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
- Refer clients to community resources for services, such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply.
- Counsel individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, child care, or medical care.
- Provide, find, or arrange for support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, job training, counseling, or parenting classes to prevent more serious problems from developing.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- EasyCBM
- Patient electronic medical record EMR software
- Student information systems SIS software
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
- Administrative
- Sociology and Anthropology
- Education and Training
- Law and Government