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HEALTHCARE CAREERS Updated: August 5, 2025

Health and Human Services Career Guide

If you’ve ever wanted to work at a nonprofit or community assistance organization, these positions exist within the field of human services. Health and human services professionals can work with many different populations in a number of varying work settings, positively impacting people and the communities they live in. Does that sound like something you’d like to do?

Read on to learn more about what this field entails and some health and human services career options. We also share which roles you may be able to get into with a high school diploma, as well as which ones may require you to have a health and human services degree. Before we dive more deeply into this career field, it’s important to know what human services means.

What Is Human Services?

The National Organization of Human Services explains that people in human services jobs are focused on meeting the needs of people in communities, either by preventing or solving common problems in those geographical areas, thus improving their quality of life.1 Working toward this type of goal can involve many things, which makes human services a broad field.

People in health and human services careers can work within social programs, for instance. In these roles, they connect people in need with programs designed to address their specific struggles or problem areas. Workers in higher-level careers in health and human services, such as those in manager or director roles, may be responsible for coordinating, maintaining, and improving entire programs to better meet their community’s needs.

Populations Served by Human Services Workers

Many different populations are in need of social support services. Among them are the elderly, people with low incomes, individuals with limited access to nutritious food (food insecurity), veterans, people with disabilities or mental illness, at-risk youth, people with addictions, and many more. This is why the field of human services is so large!

Organizations may focus on helping specific populations, but also sometimes serve multiple populations at once through targeted programs. For example, a person who is homeless may also have a mental illness or addiction. An elderly person might also have a disability or face food insecurity. Therefore, some services can uplift several segments of the population at once.

Human services programs can help provide people with access to:

  • Temporary or permanent housing, offering more affordable places to live
  • Free or reduced-cost food to help combat hunger and food insecurity
  • Educational resources to help uplift communities with a lack of access to education
  • Job search assistance for those who struggle to find employment
  • Mentorship for adolescents and at-risk teens
  • Mobility assistance for people with disabilities or other mobility issues
  • Physical or mental healthcare for those in need of affordable care or who require rehabilitation
  • Self-help resources for people interested in improving their lives but lack the resources to do so on their own

Health and Human Services Roles within Healthcare

Some health and human services workers play a key role in helping clients or patients tend to their healthcare needs. That makes these positions worth considering for people who want to work in a healthcare role and have a strong desire to make a positive impact on certain populations’ health and wellness.

Healthcare-based human services jobs can vary in terms of the level of education needed to pursue specific positions. Some only require that you have a high school diploma, for instance, while others require or desire candidates who hold a degree.

Jobs that require you to hold an associate degree or less are often referred to as entry-level positions. As a provider of healthcare education programs for more than 30 years, Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) has worked with numerous employer partners who have offered opportunities to many of our graduates in a variety of entry-level human services jobs within the healthcare field, including:

Community Support Services

Workers in this position may help clients with everyday responsibilities, teach them how to be independent, offer support, or collaborate with the client’s healthcare team to implement medical plans and treatments. Employers generally prefer applicants with training, with many human services education programs being 1-3 years in length and including some form of hands-on experience.2

Residential Associate

Work in this health and human services role and you can provide care and support for residents living in a facility, which may include assisting them with activities of daily living and social activities. You typically need a high school diploma to become a residential associate, sometimes referred to as a resident care associate, though some employers require post-secondary education (education beyond high school).3

Behavioral Health Services or Mental Health Technician

You can also use your passion for helping people with mental health issues by working as a mental health or behavioral technician. This human services worker helps patients follow their mental health treatment plans by administering medications, conducting assessments, and working with them to build their skill sets. Typically, a high school diploma and certification are required to work in this role, with many certification programs requiring that you have an associate degree to apply.4

The Pros and Cons of Working in Health and Human Services

Generally speaking, human services involves connecting with and helping others. So, this can be a rewarding field. For example, in employee reviews published on Indeed, some U.S. Department of Health & Human Services employees say they feel their work is important or meaningful.5

Or maybe you have a close family member or friend who has struggled with homelessness, mental health issues, or substance abuse — or maybe you’ve faced these issues yourself. This might create an urge within you to want to help others in similar situations. Having a personal experience can provide you with greater insight into what they may be going through, enabling you to be compassionate and empathetic to their situations.

On the other side of things, people in human services careers can feel overwhelmed at times. Clerical responsibilities, like completing the paperwork required for services, can be time-consuming. Additionally, working with people from all sorts of backgrounds can sometimes lead to unique challenges and hurdles.

Human services workers can also have different schedules and working environments, which could be a pro or con depending on your preferences. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that there is a potential for working nights and weekends in human services positions, with some professionals traveling within their communities to meet with clients.6

Human Services Job Outlook and Wage Information

The job outlook for social and human service assistants (the category under which human services workers fall) is positive. Why? Employment in this field is projected to grow 8% between 2023 and 2033 according to the BLS, which is faster than the average rate of all occupations combined.7

The BLS goes on to say that this increase is projected, in part, due to the increasing number of older adults who will require social services like in-home meal delivery and community-based activities. Additionally, more people are expected to enroll in substance abuse disorder treatment versus going to jail, requiring more human services workers in upcoming years.

How Much Can a Health and Human Services Worker Make?

Median pay for social and human service assistants was $41,410 per year in May 2023, which equates to roughly $19.91 per hour.8 This means that half the workers in this field earned more than that amount, and half earned less. In addition, the lowest 10% of workers earned less than $30,720 per year, which is generally aligned with the wages of an entry-level worker.

Note: UMA’s graduates in the 2022-2023 cohort of its Health and Human Services program reported to UMA that they earned a median hourly wage that is approximately at or slightly higher than the BLS’s lowest decile. Earnings information was typically obtained by a self-report from the graduate, and occasionally from the graduate’s employer or other sources.

The BLS adds that most social and human service assistants work full-time.9 If you work part-time in a human services position, you would likely make less than this amount annually.

Human Services Work Environments

When it comes to workplace settings, human services workers can find positions in many different environments. Common ones include:10

  • Individual and family services
  • State and local government
  • Nursing and residential care facilities
  • Community relief service and rehabilitation centers

Two general settings you may find yourself working in as a health and human services professional are a nonprofit organization or a state-run program.

Nonprofit Health and Human Services Organizations

There are more than 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States.11 So, there are plenty of options for human services workers. While each nonprofit has different needs and job candidate requirements, here are some well-known human services organizations you may choose to pursue employment with:

  • Meals on Wheels – This organization provides the elderly with meals delivered to their homes, social connection, and other valuable resources.
  • Wounded Warrior Project – This organization provides wounded veterans with services and programs designed to improve their mental and physical health, careers, and more.
  • The YMCA – This nonprofit provides resources for people from all backgrounds, helping them improve their health and strengthen their social connections.
  • Doctors Without Borders – This organization provides lifesaving care to communities in need across the world, including those facing humanitarian crises.
  • American Civil Liberties Union – The ACLU defends and preserves civil rights, such as those related to abortion, race, gender identity, free speech, immigration, and voting.
  • Feeding America – Feeding America is a network of food banks, pantries, and local food programs dedicated to relieving hunger nationwide.
  • American Cancer Society – This nonprofit raises funding for cancer research and prevention programs, also supporting patients and their families with free rides to treatment, free lodging, and other forms of support.
  • Direct Relief – This organization provides humanitarian aid for people living in poverty or emergency situations, improving their health and lives.
  • The Conservation Fund – This organization is dedicated to protecting and conserving vital natural resources in the United States, resulting in sustainable economies.

These are just a few of the nonprofit or 501(c)(3) organizations that exist to offer services and programs to support public well-being and underserved communities.

Department of Human Services Jobs

Not all employment opportunities are within nonprofit organizations. Other organizations involved in human services include for-profit social service agencies and state and local governments.

There are 10 regional U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offices, each overseeing the HHS agencies within their designated states and territories.12 If you are interested in a human services job at a local HHS office, here’s a state-by-state list of those offices and a link to their employment information:

*Note: While some state health and human services agencies provide job listings only for their departments, in other states you must search all state openings to identify health and human services jobs.

State Agency Name Employment Information
AL Department of Human Resources Alabama DHR Jobs
AK Department of Health and Social Services Alaska State Jobs
AZ Department of Economic Security Arizona State Jobs
AR Department of Human Services Arkansas State Jobs
CA Health and Human Services Agency California State Jobs
CO Department of Human Services Colorado DHS Jobs
CT Department of Social Services Connecticut State Jobs
DE Health and Social Services Delaware State Jobs
FL Department of Children & Families Florida DCF Jobs
GA Department of Human Services Georgia DHS Jobs
HI Department of Human Services Hawaii State Jobs
ID Department of Health & Welfare Idaho DHW Jobs
IL Department of Human Services IDHS Jobs
IN Family and Social Services Administration Indiana State Jobs
IA Health & Human Services Iowa HHS Jobs
KS Department for Children and Families Kansas DCF Jobs
KY Health and Family Services Kentucky State Jobs
LA Department of Children & Family Services Louisiana DCFS Jobs
ME Department of Health and Human Services Maine DHHS Jobs
MD Department of Human Services Maryland DHS Jobs
MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services Massachusetts EOHHS Jobs
MI Department of Health & Human Services MDHHS Jobs
MN Department of Human Services Minnesota State Jobs
MS Department of Human Services Mississippi State Jobs
MO Department of Social Services Missouri DSS Jobs
MT Department of Public Health & Human Services Montana DPHHS Jobs
NE Department of Health and Human Services Nebraska DHHS Jobs
NV Department of Health and Human Services Nevada State Jobs
NH Department of Health & Human Services New Hampshire DHHS Jobs
NJ Department of Human Services New Jersey DHS Jobs
NM Human Services Department New Mexico HSD Jobs
NY Department of Family Assistance New York State Jobs
NC Department of Health and Human Services North Carolina State Jobs
ND Health & Human Services North Dakota HHS Jobs
OH Department of Job & Family Services ODJFS Jobs
OK Human Services Oklahoma Human Services Jobs
OR Department of Human Services ODHS Jobs
PA Department of Human Services Pennsylvania DHS Jobs
RI Department of Human Services Rhode Island State Jobs
SC Department of Health and Human Services South Carolina State Jobs
SD Department of Social Services South Dakota DSS Jobs
TN Department of Human Services Tennessee State Jobs
TX Health and Human Services Texas HHS Jobs
UT Department of Health & Human Services Utah State Jobs
VT Agency of Human Services Vermont State Jobs
VA Department of Social Services Virginia DSS Jobs
WA Department of Social and Health Services Washington DSHS Jobs
WV Department of Human Services West Virginia DHS Jobs
WI Department of Health Services Wisconsin DHS Jobs
WY Department of Family Services Wyoming DFS Jobs
DC Department of Human Services Washington D.C. DHS Jobs

How to Get into the Human Services Field

If health and human services sounds like it may be a good fit for you, developing a few skills and obtaining an education in this field can help prepare you for these types of roles.

Skills Beneficial for Human Services Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that social and human service assistants can benefit from having these skills:13

Communication

Workers in this field often spend a lot of time talking to clients about their needs and issues to determine how to best help. Good listening skills help ensure that you understand what clients are saying while clear speaking skills help them better understand you and/or the services your organization offers.

Compassion and Empathy

Human services workers often help people going through troubling times. Expressing empathy and compassion can help them feel supported versus judged. Compassion is also beneficial to building strong relationships with clients.

Interpersonal Skills

When you work in this field, you tend to talk to people about their most sensitive issues: poverty, health, drug abuse, and more. Having strong interpersonal skills helps you communicate effectively when it comes to these topic areas.

Organization

While this work involves human interaction, it also requires a lot of paperwork. It’s important to be organized to make sure you fill out and file everything correctly. Many workers also juggle multiple clients and services, so organization is definitely a plus.

Problem-Solving

Remember that human services is about preventing and solving problems. Having solid problem-solving skills helps you listen to the needs of your clients and then offer practical, workable solutions.

Time Management

Being able to manage your time is important as a human services worker because you’re often working with several clients at once. Good time management skills help you complete everything you need so you can serve your clients fully.

Health and Human Services Education and Training

Educational qualifications for entry-level jobs in this field can vary depending on what you want to do. Typically, workers in human services have at least a high school diploma, though some employers look for candidates with post-secondary education in this field.14 Why earn your degree, even if an employer doesn’t require it?

A human services degree program prepares learners to work in this field by covering a variety of important subjects that it’s helpful to know, some of which may include:

  • Human growth, development, and behavior
  • Family dynamics
  • Social welfare
  • Overview of counseling
  • Legal and ethical human services issues

Some programs offer hands-on experience, such as via an externship. New employees in the human services field may also receive on-the-job training to help them prepare for their new duties.

Ready to Pursue a Degree in Health and Human Services Focused on Healthcare?

Ultimate Medical Academy offers a Health and Human Services associate degree program that can help prepare you for roles that involve working with clients on their health and wellness. This program covers the topics mentioned above, along with also providing instruction on other subjects related to health and human services.

Core courses in this program focused on helping you learn more about healthcare include:

  • Medical Terminology
  • Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology I
  • Public and Community Health
  • Introduction to U.S. Healthcare Delivery

Why choose UMA? We are a healthcare institution that strives to support our learners in a variety of ways. Struggling in an individual course? We offer one-on-one support. Facing issues related to transportation or childcare? Our knowledgeable and caring staff can help identify potential resources that may help, if qualified.

At UMA, you’re more than just a student or adult learner — you’re part of our family. You become part of more than 15,000 who are currently enrolled and over 90,000 UMA alumni in the pursuit of a healthcare career. We’d love to be part of your journey, so contact us today and let’s talk about your goals and how we can help you achieve them!

1 National Organization for Human Services. What is Human Services. https://www.nationalhumanservices.org/what-is-human-services/

2 Indeed Career Guide. What Does a Community Support Worker Do? (With FAQs). https://ca.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-does-a-community-support-worker-do

3 ZipRecruiter. What Is a Resident Care Associate and How to Become One. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/career/Resident-Care-Associate/What-Is-How-to-Become

4 Indeed Career Guide. What Does a Behavioral Technician Do? https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-is-behavioral-technician

5 Indeed. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Employee Reviews. https://www.indeed.com/cmp/U.S.-Department-of-Health-&-Human-Services/reviews

6 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Social and Human Service Assistants. Work Environment. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm#tab-3

7 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Social and Human Service Assistants. Summary. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm#tab-1

8 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Social and Human Service Assistants. Pay. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm#tab-5

9 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Social and Human Service Assistants. Work Environment. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm#tab-3

10 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Social and Human Service Assistants. Work Environment. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm#tab-3

11 Philanthropy News Digest. 60+ Key Nonprofit Statistics: Essential Insights for 2024. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/other-sources/article/?id=14803735&title=60+-Key-Nonprofit-Statistics:-Essential-Insights-for-2024

12 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS Regional Offices. https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/regional-offices/index.html

13 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Social and Human Service Assistants. How to Become a Social and Human Service Assistant. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm#tab-4

14 Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Social and Human Service Assistants. How to Become a Social and Human Service Assistant. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-and-human-service-assistants.htm#tab-4

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About the Author

headshot of Christina DeBuskChristina DeBusk

Christina DeBusk is a freelance writer who has been providing health and wellness content to healthcare organizations such as the American Chiropractic Association and International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) since 2011. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Central Michigan University, minoring in psychology. She has also earned several ISSA certifications, including Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Nutrition Specialist, achieving the status of Elite Trainer.

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