Find Grad Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Human Services Major

Find Schools Near

Human Services

1,153 Master's Degrees Annually
82 Doctor's Degrees Annually
#105 in Popularity (Master's)
$46,050 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Human Services Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many human services graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 1,153
Doctor’s Degree 82
Graduate Certificate 42

What Human Services Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to human services and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Human Services Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

undefined
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Therapy and Counseling - Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

Skills for Human Services Majors

human services majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

undefined
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Abilities for Human Services Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a human services student include the following:

undefined
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Human Services Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with human services:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Community and Social Service Specialists 13.2% $42,620
Social and Community Service Managers 18.0% $65,320
Social and Human Service Assistants 16.4% $33,750

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Human Services?

1,153 Master's Degrees Annually
88% Percent Women
61% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
The major attracts more women than men. About 88% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of human services majors is as follows:

undefined
Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 12
Black or African American 532
Hispanic or Latino 112
White 380
International Students 10
Other Races/Ethnicities 107

Geographic Diversity

Human Services appeals to people across the globe. About 0.9% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • Nigeria
  • China
  • South Korea
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Canada

How Much Do Human Services Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in human services was $37,890 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $36,924 (25th percentile) and $41,064 (75th percentile).

undefined

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in human services, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $35,830 to $71,670 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to human services. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Human Services Major  ( 35830 to 71670 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some degrees associated with human services may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for human services careers below.

undefined
Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 15.9%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 0.8%
Some College Courses 4.3%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 10.7%
Bachelor’s Degree 36.8%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 0.5%
Master’s Degree 20.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 10.5%

Online Human Services Programs

In 2020-2021, 476 schools offered a human services program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 70 15
Certificate (2-4 Years) 0 0
Associate’s Degree 264 35
Bachelor’s Degree 13 4
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 54 23
Post-Master’s 2 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 4 3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Human Services Worth It?

The median salary for a human services grad is $46,050 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 15% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $123,000 after 20 years!

undefined

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to human services.

Major Number of Grads
Social Work 33,631
Public Administration 13,571
Public Policy 3,737
Community Organization & Advocacy 741
Other Public Administration 295

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Graduate Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited graduate schools across the U.S.