Social Services

What the Numbers Say About Social Services

0.0% of the federal civilian workforce (2,289,472 employees total, March 2025) works in the Social Services occupation (OPM code 187): 307 people, headcount up 3.0% versus the prior period, though at this small a headcount, year-to-year swings can reflect a handful of hires or departures rather than a broad hiring trend.

Average tenure in Social Services runs 10.7 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $64,031 per year, 41.7% below the $109,869 federal civilian average and up 2.1% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce.

The Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (code 1) groups Social Services together with 27 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Social Services postings should also review these sibling occupations, since federal hiring managers often cross-post positions across closely related codes when recruitment is difficult. All figures here come directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes, the same official source referenced in federal workforce planning, budget justifications, and GAO reports.

Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (28 occupations, 113,996 employees combined), Social Services holds the #19 spot by headcount, a 0.3% share of the family total.