Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Community and Social Service Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 21-1021.00
Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.007
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.28
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 19 hidden tasks23 rated tasks · 10 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (43.5%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 2 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 30.2) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Counsel individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, child care, or medical care.21-1021.00 | 0.030075.0 | 0.0100100.0 |
Refer clients to community resources for services, such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply.21-1021.00 | 0.010025.0 | 0.00000.0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Maintain case history records and prepare reports.O*NET Task ID 237 | 1.0 |
Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services.O*NET Task ID 238 | 0.5 |
Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.O*NET Task ID 241 | 0.5 |
Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports.O*NET Task ID 242 | 0.5 |
Refer clients to community resources for services, such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply.O*NET Task ID 245 | 0.5 |
Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.O*NET Task ID 246 | 0.5 |
Administer welfare programs.O*NET Task ID 248 | 0.5 |
Determine clients' eligibility for financial assistance.O*NET Task ID 254 | 0.5 |
Conduct social research.O*NET Task ID 255 | 0.5 |
Serve on policy-making committees, assist in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems.O*NET Task ID 257 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (21)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs. | Core |
| Counsel individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, child care, or medical care. | Core |
| Maintain case history records and prepare reports. | Core |
| Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions. | Core |
| Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required. | Core |
| Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided. | Core |
| Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports. | Core |
| Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements. | Core |
| Provide, find, or arrange for support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, job training, counseling, or parenting classes to prevent more serious problems from developing. | Core |
| Refer clients to community resources for services, such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply. | Core |
| Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures. | Core |
| Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty. | Core |
| Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services. | Supplemental |
| Evaluate personal characteristics and home conditions of foster home or adoption applicants. | Supplemental |
| Place children in foster or adoptive homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers. | Supplemental |
| Supervise other social workers. | Supplemental |
| Recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents. | Supplemental |
| Determine clients' eligibility for financial assistance. | Supplemental |
| Conduct social research. | Supplemental |
| Lead group counseling sessions that provide support in such areas as grief, stress, or chemical dependency. | Supplemental |
| Serve on policy-making committees, assist in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems. | Supplemental |
0.00/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
None of this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks is classified as a physical task.
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 405K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 423K
- Change (2025–35)
- +4.4%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $59,550
- Typical education needed for entry
- Bachelor's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25310 | 사회복지사 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 2635Social Work and Counselling Professionals
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Social work and counselling professionals provide advice and guidance to individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations in response to social and personal difficulties. They assist clients to develop skills and access resources and support services needed to respond to issues arising from unemployment, poverty, disability, addiction, criminal and delinquent behaviour, and marital and other problems.
Tasks
- (a) interviewing clients individually, in families, or in groups, to assess their situation and problems and determine the types of services required;
- (b) analysing the client's situation and presenting alternative approaches to resolving problems;
- (c) compiling case records or reports for courts and other legal proceedings;
- (d) providing counselling, therapy and mediation services and facilitating group sessions to assist clients to develop skills and insights needed to deal with and resolve their social and personal problems;
- (e) planning and implementing programmes of assistance for clients including crisis intervention and referral to agencies that provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, medical treatment and other services;
- (f) investigating cases of abuse or neglect and taking action to protect children and other at risk persons;
- (g) working with offenders during and after sentence, to help them to integrate into the community and to change attitudes and behaviour in order to reduce further offending;
- (h) providing advice to prison governors and to probation and parole review boards that helps determine whether, and under what conditions, an offender should be incarcerated, released from prison or undergo alternative correctional measures;
- (i) acting as advocates for client groups in the community and lobbying for solutions to problems affecting them;
- (j) developing prevention and intervention programmes to meet community needs;
- (k) maintaining contact with other social service agencies, educational institutions and health care providers involved with clients to provide information and obtain feedback on clients' overall situation and progress.
Example occupations
Addictions counsellor · Bereavement counsellor · Child and youth counsellor · District social welfare officer · Family counsellor · Marriage counsellor · Parole officer · Probation officer · Sexual assault counsellor · Social worker · Women’s welfare organizer
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- child care social workerESCO 2635.3.2This occupation is broader
Child care social workers provide social services to children and their families in order to improve their social and psychological functioning. They aim to maximize family's well-being and protect children from abuse and neglect. They assist adoption arrangements and find foster homes where needed.
- child welfare workerESCO 3412.4.3This occupation is broader
Child welfare workers provide early intervention and support to children and their families in order to improve their social and psychological functioning. They aim to maximise the family well-being and protect children from abuse and neglect. They advocate for children so that their rights are respected within and outside the family. They may assist single parents or find foster homes for abandoned or abused children.
- education welfare officerESCO 2635.3.10This occupation is broader
Education welfare officers address the social and psychological well-being of students. They counsel students concerning their personal issues that affect their school behaviour, performance and social life. These issues may range from attention deficit problems, to social and personal issues such as poverty or domestic and sexual abuse. Education welfare officers also handle the communication between the students, the parents and the school.
- foster care support workerESCO 3412.4.6This occupation is broader
Foster care support workers assist and support mentally or physically abused children to be legally separated from their parents. They help them to recover by placing them in appropriate families and making sure that the children welfare is a priority.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| K1201 | Assistant social / Assistante sociale | This occupation is narrower |
| K1207 | Educateur spécialisé / Educatrice spécialisée | Related, not a match |
| K1209 | Coordonnateur / Coordonnatrice de projet socioéducatif | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| K1305 | Technicien / Technicienne d'Intervention Sociale et Familiale (TISF) | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 2824 | Profesionales del trabajo y la educación social | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 83124 | Berufe in der Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik - hoch komplexe Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
| 83123 | Berufe in der Sozialarbeit und Sozialpädagogik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Overlapping, not the same |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 161 | 福祉相談指導専門員 | Overlapping, not the same |
| 162 | 福祉施設指導専門員 | Related, not a match |
| 169 | その他の社会福祉専門職業従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources