Social Services Aid and Assistant
Federal headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison for the Social Services Aid and Assistant occupation series (code 0186), drawn directly from the OPM FedScope dataset (June 2026).
The verdict
Social Services Aid and Assistant is a smaller, specialized federal occupation: 962 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce) in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family. At an average salary of $59,911 it pays below the federal average of $117,339, and headcount grew 0.1% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 962
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $59,911
- Avg tenure
- 11.7 yrs
FedScope read on Social Services Aid and Assistant (dense series)
As of the June 2026 reporting window, 962 people work in the Social Services Aid and Assistant occupation (OPM code 0186) across federal agencies, 0.0% of the 1,953,300-strong federal civilian workforce. Headcount moved up by 0.1% 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 $59,911 per year. Salaries moved down by -0.0% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change. Average length of service in this role is 11.7 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career.
Code 01, the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, is where the federal government classifies Social Services Aid and Assistant alongside 28 related occupations. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Social Services Aid and Assistant postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family.
Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (29 occupations, 101,196 employees combined), Social Services Aid and Assistant holds the #11 spot by headcount, a 1.0% 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.
Salary context · lean-pay series
How Social Services Aid and Assistant pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$59,911
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-48.9%
Where Social Services Aid and Assistant ranks on lean federal pay
Its average salary of $59,911 is higher than 14% of federal occupation series (76 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Social Services Aid and Assistant sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Social Services Aid and Assistant ranks higher than 14%.
Related Occupations in Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group
10 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Insurance Administration | 24,044 | $105,855 | 17.7 yrs |
| Social Work | 22,339 | $112,147 | 10 yrs |
| Social Science | 13,513 | $109,039 | 11.8 yrs |
| Intelligence | 12,860 | n/a | 15 yrs |
| Psychology | 10,259 | $144,240 | 10.7 yrs |
| Economist | 3,774 | $158,425 | 14.1 yrs |
| Foreign Affairs | 2,748 | $155,920 | 14.4 yrs |
| Health Insurance Administration | 2,443 | $149,476 | 15.3 yrs |
| Social Science Aid and Technician | 1,534 | $67,632 | 12.4 yrs |
| Archeology | 1,448 | $91,675 | 12 yrs |
Nationwide peers near this dense headcount
Two peer sets for Social Services Aid and Assistant outside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar dense headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (962 here).
Similar lean average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($59,911 here).
Key takeaways
- Social Services Aid and Assistant pays below the federal average by 48.9% ($59,911 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 14th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 962 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 0.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Social Services Aid and Assistant ranks #216 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Inside the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare Group family (29 occupations, 101,196 employees combined), Social Services Aid and Assistant holds the #11 spot by headcount, a 1.0% share of the family total.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.