Social and community service workers

Overview

Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems. They are employed by social service and government agencies, mental health agencies, group homes, shelters, substance abuse centres, school boards, correctional facilities and other establishments.

Also known as:

Aboriginal centre coordinator
Aboriginal outreach officer - social services
Aboriginal outreach worker
addictions worker
addictions worker - compulsive gambling

Median salary

The median salary for this job across Ontario is $54,100

Average hourly wage

Low $19.23

Medium $26.00

High $37.91

Low
The low wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 10th percentile. For example, if the low wage is $12.00/hour, this means that 10% of the workers in the occupation earn $12.00/hour or less.

Medium
The median wage is the indicator of the prevailing wage for each occupation. The median wage is the middle point of the wage distribution, when wages are arranged in numerical order.

High
The high wage, in most cases, corresponds to the 90th percentile. For example, if the high wage is $40.00/hour, this means that 90% of the workers in the occupation earn $40.00/hour or less.

Education and training pathways

To be qualified for this job, completion of a postsecondary program is usually required.

Secondary school or equivalency

An Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent is required. If you haven’t completed the required credits, you can earn them through Adult learning programs. If you haven’t completed the required credits, you can earn them through Adult learning programs.

College or university programs

Completion of a college or university program in social work, child and youth care, psychology or other social science or health-related discipline is usually required. Previous work experience as a volunteer or in a support capacity may replace formal education requirements for some occupations in this unit group. Educational pathways are provided for informational purposes only. Links are included for programs at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions. They may not be inclusive of all relevant programs available in Ontario.

Educational pathways are provided for informational purposes only. Links are included for programs at publicly assisted postsecondary institutions. They may not be inclusive of all relevant programs available in Ontario.

View college programs View university programs

Other education or certifications

Required registration

Registration with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers is required to practice as a social worker or registered social worker.

Micro-credentials

Consider obtaining micro-credentials to gain skills and knowledge relevant to your career. Micro-credentials are rapid training programs that can help you get the skills that employers need.

View micro-credentials

Relevant organizations

Career data by region

See median salary and historical job postings of this career profile based on Economic Region.

Totals for economic regions may be less than total online job postings for the province due to exclusion of postings without reliable information.

Economic Region	Median salary ($)	Historical job postings
Ottawa	59,700	540
Kingston-Pembroke	56,200	263
Muskoka-Kawarthas	58,200	186
Toronto	53,300	2,145
Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie	55,000	417
Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula	52,500	643
London	52,000	241
Windsor-Sarnia	54,100	117
Stratford-Bruce Peninsula	52,300	177
Northeast	62,400	850
Northwest	56,200	351

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About the data

Information on this page is sourced from the National Occupational Classification (NOC), which is Canada’s national system for describing occupations.

NOC Code: NOC 42201

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Ontario’s labour market information website is developed for use as a resource to help people explore career options. The job outlooks for each occupation use projections of future job openings and should be interpreted with caution. Shifts in the rate of economic growth, technological developments, business restructuring, or changes in government policies can all affect the future growth prospects or skill requirements of the labour market.

Job outlooks have been developed for Ontario as a whole, and may not reflect the situation in each local labour market. The number and type of employers, the occupational make-up of the workforce, and other local economic conditions all contribute to the employment prospects for an occupation in a given community.

The accuracy of the information presented for in-demand skills and knowledge and other sections based on job posting data depends, in part, on whether jobs are categorized into the correct occupational groups. In some cases, job postings may be incorrectly attributed to an occupational grouping and the data should be interpreted with caution

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