Think about a career that is both impactful and fulfilling. What comes to mind?

It might be a counselor helping veterans navigate life after war. A social worker supporting children in the foster care system. A community advocate, bringing resources to underserved populations, or a rehab provider getting recovering addicts back on their feet. These are just some of the many important, helping careers that fall within the human services and social work fields.

Human services and social work are two professions dedicated to helping people and communities. While they share the common goal of enhancing others’ well-being, the requirements and careers within each field can vary drastically.

So, before you dive into either path, it’s important to understand the differences between human services and social work.

Is human services the same as social work?

No. While the fields are closely related, human services and social work represent very different professional paths. Human services is a broad field of study that’s focused on helping people and populations, often through community-based work and large-scale initiatives. Social work, meanwhile, is a specialized, clinically-focused field. Social work falls within the broader human services bucket, but is usually aimed at helping individual clients work through deep-seated issues or times of crisis.

What is human services?

Human services is a broad, interdisciplinary field that is focused on helping people. Human services professionals work to meet the basic needs of others—ensuring they have food, shelter, and healthcare access—as well as improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities in need.

If you are looking to make a difference, a career in human services is an excellent choice. Human services workers help people and communities that are struggling by reestablishing their footing and giving them the resources or skills needed to thrive. The goal of human services is to advocate for the greater good and ensure people have the resources needed to return to their proper status in society. Often, this is accomplished through preventative programs, remediation efforts, and direct service-based work.

While the field is broad, human services workers can be found working directly with communities or stepping back to create larger-scale change, facilitating policies and programs for an array of people in need. For example, human services workers can be found helping homeless populations, victims of abuse, children in foster care, women in crisis, inmates in or being released from prison, low-income families, troubled youth, and more.

What is social work?

Social work is a specialized branch of human services that’s dedicated to supporting individuals as they navigate difficult times. Social workers spend their days helping people solve and cope with problems that disrupt their everyday lives, including mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.

Social work, as a whole, takes a more clinical approach to helping people. These professionals often provide clinical intervention directly to their clients, and have the training needed to meet the unique needs of those affected by addiction, abuse, and mental health issues. Social workers typically meet with their clients in a one-on-one, confidential setting, but can also be found working with groups of people in need.

Social justice is also a key priority of the social work field. Social workers often work with people directly affected by disenfranchisement and other complex social problems. For example, you may find a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) working in a mental health facility, a college or university, or at a child welfare agency.

Key differences between human services and social work

Scope and approach

Human Services: Human services is a big-picture field that links people to the services they need. These professionals facilitate access to healthcare and other resources, like food and shelter, as well as support individuals through community programs. Human services professionals often operate on a large scale, with their efforts contributing to the health and well-being of many people or populations at once.

Social Work: Social work, on the other hand, usually involves more clinical or therapeutic roles, working directly with clients on a case-by-case basis. Social workers help individuals overcome a variety of issues affecting their everyday lives, including social, personal, financial, or mental hardships.

Education requirements

Human Services: Because the field is so vast, there are no standard requirements to enter a human services role. However, a postsecondary degree is recommended. Typically, you will have the option to pursue an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree in human services (or a related field). Human services degrees explore social structures, systems, and policies, as well as teach students how to support people through social programs and resources. Coursework is a blend of psychology, sociology, public health, and social policy.

Learn how to earn a human services degree and start making a difference today.

Social Work: The social work career trajectory is more limited, and requirements are more straightforward as a result. At minimum, aspiring social workers need a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) for entry-level positions. However, a sweeping number of roles—especially clinical or licensed positions—require a Master of Social Work (MSW) and licensure (e.g., LCSW, LMSW).

Career outcomes

Human Services: Human services professionals transcend a single definition or career outcome—their work is all around us, helping to create systemic change and assist people in need. Generally speaking, though, human services careers involve a range of support roles in case management, community outreach, mental health aide, non-profit program coordination, and more.

Social Work: The social work career path leads to more specialized roles, like clinical social worker, school social worker, child welfare worker, or medical social worker. Social workers often focus on advocacy and counseling, with opportunities in both public and private sectors.

Salary potential

Human Services: Salary and benefits in this field will depend on your title, credentials, workplace, and experience. However, experts suggest that human services workers earn between $35,000 and $50,000 annually in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) specifically reports that community and social service professionals earn a median salary of $57,530 annually.

Social Work: Social work offers higher earning potential than human services, and this makes sense: It requires a longer (and larger) investment in school. Social work professionals with a master’s degree and licensure are positioned for high salaries. Salaries typically range from $50,000 to $80,000 annually, with the BLS reporting a median salary of $61,330 for social workers annually.

Can you become a social worker with a human services degree?

No, you cannot become a social worker with a human services degree (no matter the level). As stated by the BLS, “Social workers typically need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work from a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.”

So how do you become a social worker? While general social workers only need a bachelor’s degree to enter the field, clinical social workers must have a master’s degree and two years of post-master’s experience in a supervised clinical setting. Clinical social workers must also be licensed in the state in which they practice.

What can you do with a human services degree?

Within the field of human services, the possibilities are endless. There are hundreds of different positions you can fill with an associate or bachelor’s degree in human services, as well as many diverse demographics you can work with, and a number of specialties you can pursue. Human services professionals can also work in a diversity of settings, including non-profit, government, and community agencies.

Here are some of the many career options available to human services graduates:

• Case Manager
• Child Protective Services Specialist
• Community Outreach Worker
• Corrections counselor
• Counselor
• Crisis Advocate
• Gerontology Aide (Caring for the elderly)
• Job Coach
• Life Skills Counselor
• Mental Health Associate
• Probation Officer
• Rehabilitation or Substance Abuse Counselor
• Youth Worker

Human services workers can also take the lead on big-picture projects, working toward the greater good by filling managerial roles and overseeing projects for the agencies in which they work.

Pursue a caring career in social services

Do you have a passion for helping others? Are you caring, patient, and have excellent communication skills? Do you feel like you have a calling to serve your neighbor in need? If so, a career in human or social services may be perfect for you!

And the other good news? This field is growing rapidly. The BLS estimates that 299,400 job openings will become available each year, on average, within this field. The boom is a result of a record-breaking baby boomer population now aging: Many professionals are reaching retirement age and requiring new talent to fill their jobs. At the same time, a spike in the older population is likely to drive more demand for both health and human services.

Goodwin University offers both an associate degree and bachelor’s degree program in human services. Interested in exploring these program offerings?

Call 877-889-3282 or visit us online to learn more about how we can help you secure a caring career you love.