Social Services Aid and Assistant

What the Numbers Say About Social Services Aid and Assistant

As of the March 2025 reporting window, 1,071 people work in the Social Services Aid and Assistant occupation (OPM code 186) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 2,289,472-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved down by -3.1% from the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.

The average salary for Social Services Aid and Assistant is $58,552 per year, placing it 46.7% below the overall federal civilian average of $109,869. Salaries moved up by 3.0% from the prior period, a broad shift as locality pay tables and grade-level adjustments moved through the workforce. Average length of service in this role is 8.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.

Code 1, the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, is where the federal government classifies Social Services Aid and Assistant alongside 27 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Social Services Aid and Assistant 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 Aid and Assistant holds the #12 spot by headcount, a 0.9% share of the family total. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (11th percentile) of pay among Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group occupations.