Government & Public SafetyCompare

Social Worker

O*NET: Child, Family, and School Social Workers·21-1021.00

The Verdict:Social work centers on trust with vulnerable clients through in-person assessments, counseling, and crisis intervention where human empathy drives outcomes. Legal testimony, home evaluations, and therapeutic relationships resist automation. AI aids documentation and referrals without displacing the human core. Demand from social challenges ensures stability.

Resilience Score

/100

Highly Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$58k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

+3.4%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 2 of 21 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

10%

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
13 of 21 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 29% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

2exposed

6AI leverage

13human-essential

View all 21 tasks

AI Can Handle This2 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

Conduct social research.

Determine clients' eligibility for financial assistance.

AI Leverage6 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Maintain case history records and prepare reports.

Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.

Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.

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.

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.

Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports.

Human Advantage13 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.

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.

Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.

Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required.

Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.

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.

Place children in foster or adoptive homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers.

Recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents.

Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services.

Evaluate personal characteristics and home conditions of foster home or adoption applicants.

Supervise other social workers.

Lead group counseling sessions that provide support in such areas as grief, stress, or chemical dependency.

Serve on policy-making committees, assist in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems.

Resilience Landscape

Social Worker lands in Stable, Lower Pay

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Social Worker

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