# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/child-family-and-school-social-workers
- SOC code: 21-1021.00
- Career family: Community and social service
- Median annual pay: $59,550 (10th percentile $42,280, 90th percentile $95,530)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +4.4%
- Openings a year: 33,900
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 12 |
| Investigative (I) | 39 |
| Artistic (A) | 32 |
| Social (S) | 98 |
| Enterprising (E) | 32 |
| Conventional (C) | 43 |

## What you'd do

- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 93/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 93/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 90/100)
- Getting Information (importance 90/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 88/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 87/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 86/100)
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 86/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 85/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 85/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Complex Problem Solving, Monitoring, Coordination

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, English Language, Administrative, Sociology and Anthropology, Education and Training, Law and Government, Administration and Management, Computers and Electronics

## Also called

Adolescent Counselor, Adoption Agent, Adoption Coordinator, Adoption Counselor, Adoption Social Worker, Adoption Specialist, Adoption Worker, Case Manager, Case Worker, Casework Supervisor

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Criminal Justice and Corrections](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4301) (CIP 4301, 1,742 colleges)
- [Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5115) (CIP 5115, 969 colleges)
- [Social Work](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4407) (CIP 4407, 849 colleges)
- [Research and Experimental Psychology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4227) (CIP 4227, 327 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Calumet College of Saint Joseph](https://www.collegesref.com/college/calumet-college-of-saint-joseph-380) | Criminal Justice and Corrections | $54,078 | $106,465 | $20,417 |
| [Dartmouth College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dartmouth-college-769) | Research and Experimental Psychology | $57,478 | $99,344 | $9,888 |
| [Columbia University in the City of New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york-656) | Research and Experimental Psychology | $57,188 | $86,946 | $31,181 |
| [Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA Tech](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus-ga-tech-1072) | Research and Experimental Psychology | not reported | $83,012 | $14,500 |
| [National University-California](https://www.collegesref.com/college/national-university-california-1825) | Criminal Justice and Corrections | $66,056 | $81,299 | $25,000 |
| [University of Connecticut UCONN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-connecticut-uconn-2902) | Research and Experimental Psychology | $39,952 | $80,873 | not reported |
| [Fisher College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/fisher-college-957) | Criminal Justice and Corrections | $48,983 | $80,136 | $26,875 |
| [George Washington University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/george-washington-university-1066) | Criminal Justice and Corrections | $54,080 | $80,070 | $19,500 |

## Related careers

- [Healthcare Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/healthcare-social-workers): $67,880 median pay
- [Marriage and Family Therapists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/marriage-and-family-therapists): $66,940 median pay
- [Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mental-health-and-substance-abuse-social-workers): $60,280 median pay
- [Rehabilitation Counselors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/rehabilitation-counselors): $46,850 median pay
- [Social and Human Service Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-and-human-service-assistants): $45,930 median pay
- [Social and Community Service Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/social-and-community-service-managers): $80,390 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.