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Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Also called: Case Manager, Family Protection Specialist, Family Service Worker, School Social Worker

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.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$59,550
Openings a year BLS, 2025–3533,900
Typical education to start BLSBachelor's degree
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 High
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 +4.4%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 4.4% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 1.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 39% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 47% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$43k$79knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$46,660$41,890 to $59,5604,220
Alaska$62,630$50,590 to $76,2901,260
Arizona$50,150$45,870 to $57,5407,560
Arkansas$43,330$37,350 to $52,1301,150
California$65,200$52,270 to $82,08060,310
Colorado$63,720$51,540 to $82,8208,200
Connecticut$78,970$62,030 to $100,5105,230
Delaware$48,520$47,440 to $58,670910
District of Columbia$73,550$59,730 to $99,5002,430
Florida$56,550$47,130 to $64,94014,000
Georgia$47,510$41,600 to $60,2507,110
Guam$54,910$37,920 to $59,16080
Hawaii$68,270$58,290 to $79,8601,170
Idaho$59,840$47,860 to $74,190810
Illinois$63,220$52,320 to $81,65019,860
Indiana$50,470$46,780 to $59,6106,690
Iowa$52,250$45,460 to $65,0403,410
Kansas$54,300$48,050 to $61,4703,190
Kentucky$59,100$46,230 to $67,2608,470
Louisiana$56,800$41,640 to $63,3101,110
Maine$63,290$56,720 to $76,6302,000
Maryland$76,390$56,920 to $93,9404,710
Massachusetts$75,570$61,150 to $94,65010,900
Michigan$59,270$47,740 to $75,38015,760
Minnesota$67,450$56,510 to $81,7206,540
Mississippi$46,530$40,190 to $53,7303,310
Missouri$48,520$44,300 to $55,7409,620
Montana$56,780$45,380 to $59,5201,250
Nebraska$47,770$44,180 to $55,9804,830
Nevada$61,080$49,960 to $76,6304,030
New Hampshire$71,010$50,680 to $80,8101,700
New Jersey$76,280$59,530 to $97,5007,360
New Mexico$56,160$45,470 to $78,0902,990
New York$65,100$56,230 to $79,51030,170
North Carolina$59,610$49,010 to $68,12013,010
North Dakota$64,560$57,070 to $74,520870
Ohio$51,520$47,310 to $61,16016,050
Oklahoma$43,950$40,250 to $52,2106,500
Oregon$64,130$54,420 to $80,1306,630
Pennsylvania$50,820$44,700 to $63,48016,200
Puerto Rico$43,620$36,300 to $53,4403,370
Rhode Island$69,870$50,760 to $85,7702,450
South Carolina$51,800$44,810 to $57,5505,520
South Dakota$51,100$46,010 to $59,1002,050
Tennessee$56,310$46,660 to $68,7207,870
Texas$55,680$46,330 to $63,87021,670
Utah$52,000$43,410 to $73,2301,930
Vermont$67,340$58,570 to $74,940640
Virgin Islands$50,810$47,180 to $59,99030
Virginia$61,330$49,600 to $78,5309,410
Washington$74,480$58,920 to $86,70010,720
West Virginia$52,220$45,510 to $58,7202,380
Wisconsin$59,280$47,980 to $70,0105,710
Wyoming$56,420$36,680 to $61,490710

Nationally: $59,550. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 9 of its 21 tasks

4 · AI alone could halve the time 5 · AI + software built on it could 12 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Maintain case history records and prepare reports. under 0.01%
AI alone 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. 0.01%
Not much Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs. under 0.01%
Not much 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. Not published
Not much Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions. Not published
Not much Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided. Not published
See all 21 tasks
AI + software 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. 0.03%
Not much Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements. under 0.01%
AI alone Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures. Not published
AI + software Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports. under 0.01%
Not much Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty. Not published
AI + software Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required. Not published
AI alone Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services. Not published
Not much Place children in foster or adoptive homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers. Not published
Not much Recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents. Not published
Not much Lead group counseling sessions that provide support in such areas as grief, stress, or chemical dependency. Not published
AI alone Serve on policy-making committees, assist in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems. Not published
Not much Evaluate personal characteristics and home conditions of foster home or adoption applicants. Not published
Not much Supervise other social workers. Not published
Not much Determine clients' eligibility for financial assistance. Not published
AI + software Conduct social research. under 0.01%

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 7 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up9 of 21 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most3 of 18 activities
  • #18 Research historical or social issues
  • #20 Present research or technical information
  • #24 Assist others to access additional services or resources
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Assist others to access additional services or resources 72#24 327#7
Counsel others about personal matters 5.42#120 5.00#88
Assess living, work, or social needs or status of individuals or communities 9.88#88 4.70#94
Advise others on healthcare or wellness issues 17#62 47#29
Explain medical information to patients or family members 13#77 44#32
Advocate for individual or community needs 8.02#105 6.13#76
Interview people to obtain information 4.73#130 5.04#87
Research historical or social issues 112#18 28#40
Show all 18 activities
Present research or technical information 100#20 339#6
Evaluate programs, practices, or processes 15#67 5.67#80
Advise others on educational or vocational matters 14#74 34#36
Advise others on legal or regulatory matters 8.33#101 22#45
Collect information about patients or clients 3.53#155 4.48#98
Develop patient or client care or treatment plans 1.97#198 0.57#191
Collaborate in the development of educational programs 0.83#248 0.53#198
Supervise personnel activities 0.56#266 0.05#283
Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care 0.38#279 0.10#270
Maintain health or medical records 0.18#302 0.03#291
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Maintain health or medical records” holds 1 task rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 0.18 of every 10,000 conversations, #302 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • Advice or a recommendation37%
  • An explanation or answer31%
  • A document or report8%
  • An email or message6%
  • An analysis or summary4%

How they worked with Claude

40% handed the task off60% worked on it together

8% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for child, family, and school social workers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Child, family, and school social workers: +4.4%Child, Family, and School Social WorkersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Child, family, and school social workers: +4.4%Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 55,418 moves out

  1. 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 7%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
  3. 3 Mental Health Counselors 4%
  4. 4 Social Workers, All Other High +2.3% 3%
  5. 5 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 52,567 moves in

  1. 1 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 6%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
  3. 3 Mental Health Counselors 4%
  4. 4 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 4%
  5. 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 4%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 6% associate's
  • 69% bachelor's
  • 26% master's

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 23 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 2% less than high school
  • 8% high school
  • 12% some college
  • 6% associate's
  • 40% bachelor's
  • 31% master's
  • 1% professional degree

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 795 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation

Programs that prepare people for it (NCES)
8 programs, such as Developmental and Child Psychology, Developmental and Adolescent Psychology and Juvenile Corrections.
See all
  • Developmental and Child Psychology
  • Developmental and Adolescent Psychology
  • Juvenile Corrections
  • Social Work
  • Youth Services/Administration
  • Forensic Social Work
  • Social Work, Other
  • Infant/Toddler Mental Health Services

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

70.8% this occupation

45.3% all occupations

By kindThis occupationAll occupations
a license33.8%19.1%
a certification0.5%5.8%
an educational certificatenot published

Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/21-1021.00

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