Social Work Jobs in the Federal Government

social workers There are 8,114 positions in Social Work in the federal government! When looking at specific openings on USAjobs.gov, keep the following guidelines in mind:

Social Services GS-0187 and Social Services and Assistant GS-0186: Bachelor’s degree is usually recommended.
Social Work GS-0185: While a bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement, a master’s degree in social work or a related field has become the standard for many positions.

Job Profiles

Here are examples of recent job openings. Explore more and apply now at USAJOBS.

Social Worker at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

Salary Range: $44,726 - $70,353 per year
Duty Locations: Portland, Oregon (and other locations across the country)
Job Summary: The Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration provides a broad spectrum of medical, prescription, surgical, and rehabilitative care for U.S. veterans.
Major Duties: Prepares psychosocial assessment and provides substance abuse and mental health treatment in a methadone treatment program.Provides social work interventions: case management, individual/group/marital/family therapy, patient education, coordination of resources to meet multiple patient needs, and all relevant documentation.

Social Worker or Psychologist at the Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service

Salary Range: $62,291- $80,975 per year
Duty Locations: Western South Dakota
Job Summary: The Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service provides federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives. Specifically, this position is at the Pine Ridge Indian Health Service, in the Kyle Clinic.
Major Duties: Planning, organizing, improving, and implementing a comprehensive Mental Health and Social Service Program. In addition, the program director is responsible for developing and maintaining cooperative and coordinated program efforts among the various allied agencies in the area.

Social Worker at the Court Services and Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia

Salary Range: $77,353 - $100,554 per year
Duty Locations: Washington, D.C.
Job Summary: The Court Services and Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia aims to prevent crime, increase public safety and support the fair administration of justice in collaboration with the community.
Major Duties: Principal advisor and Program Manager for Organization and Management to the Associate Director of Community Supervision Services. He or she will also provide program management and oversight for intervention services provided by the Mental Health Branch.

Family Program Director at the U.S. Army

Salary Range: $55,360 - $71,965 per year
Duty Locations: Ft. Shafter, Hawaii
Job Summary: Civilian employees serve a vital role in supporting the Army mission. They provide the skills that are crucial to support military operations. Membership in the Army Reserve is required.
Major Duties: The person hired for this position will direct the Family Readiness Program for a Regional Support Command (RSC). He or she will also provide assistance, guidance, and support to enhance the quality of life for members of the Army family during peacetime and upon mobilization.

Federal Jobs by the Numbers

Social Workers are in high demand at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to support troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of positions at the VA increased by more than 650 from 2005 to 2006. Click here to read articles on Help Starts Here's Web site about Social Work.
In the Department of Defense, the Army, Navy and Air Force each have 200-900 social work jobs.
The Forest Service (In the Department of Agriculture) employs over 400 people classified as “Social Services Aid and Assistant.”
The Bureau of Indian Affairs contains the majority of social work and social services positions in the Department of the Interior. The National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service each contain an addional twenty positions in social services.
The Indian Health Service provides the majority of positions in social work and social services in the Department of Health and Human Services.
The National Institutes of Health (part of the Department of Health and Human Services) employs more than forty people in social work.

Average Salaries for Social Work Positions

Position	Salary
Social Services Aid and Assistant	$37,403
Social Services Administration	$41,793
General Social Work (Macro to Direct)	$61,896

Fedscope, 3/08

Percentage of Social Work Positions by Region

Fedscope, 03/08

Number of Social Work Positions by Agency

Agency	FTP Social WorkPositions
Social Security Admin.	26,434
Department of Veteran Affairs	9,059
Department of Defense	8,669
Department of Justice	5,096
Department of Health & Human Services	3,764
Total in All Cabinet Level Agencies, Including Above	56,821