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Child and Family Social Worker

Support children and families through crisis, placement, and services.

What it pays in the U.S.

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.

Median pay (national)$59,550about $28.63 an hour
Typical range$42,280 – $95,530lowest to highest tenth of earners
Usual way inBachelor's degree

Wage figures are 2025 survey data for United States, shown nationally because no state figure was reported. They describe what people in this job earn now, not what any one person will be offered.

Demand in United States

Employment is projected to change 3% between 2024 and 2034. About 35,100 openings are projected each year.

What the work actually is

  • Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports.
  • Place children in foster or adoptive homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers.
  • Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
  • 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.
  • Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.
  • Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services.

Read the full Occupational Outlook Handbook entry from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Licensing, by state

Licensing is set by each state, so there is no national answer. Choose a state above to see which licenses it requires for this career, or look one up with the CareerOneStop License Finder.

Certifications employers recognize

These are national certifications, issued by industry bodies rather than a state. Most are optional, but they are how you prove skill to an employer.

Apprenticeships, by state

Registered apprenticeships pay you while you train. Each state runs its own registration office, which is where to start when you want to find an open program.

Choose a state above to see the offices that register apprenticeships there.

Search open programs directly at apprenticeship.gov.

Now find the schools.

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