Social and Community Service Managers

What Social and Community Service Managers Do

Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of a social service program or community outreach organization. Oversee the program or organization's budget and policies regarding participant involvement, program requirements, and benefits. Work may involve directing social workers, counselors, or probation officers.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

Less than 5 years

On-the-job training

None

Self-employed

5.6%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.6/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 4.4/5
• English Languageimportance 4.3/5
• Psychologyimportance 4.1/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.9/5
• Personnel and Human Resourcesimportance 3.7/5
• Therapy and Counselingimportance 3.7/5
• Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• E-Mail5.0/5
• Telephone Conversations5.0/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7/5
• Contact With Others4.7/5
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5

Related Careers

• Child, Family, and School Social Workers
• Rehabilitation Counselors
• Community Health Workers
• Healthcare Social Workers
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
• Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
• Social and Human Service Assistants
• Health Education Specialists

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Obstetricians and Gynecologists98% skill match
• Residential Advisors98% skill match
• Health Education Specialists98% skill match
• Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling98% skill match
• Chiropractors98% skill match
• Sales Managers97% skill match
• Occupational Therapists97% skill match
• Financial Managers97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 4.0/5
• Service Orientationimportance 4.0/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.9/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.9/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.9/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.9/5
• Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 3.9/5
• Systems Analysisimportance 3.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Leadership Orientation
• Cooperation
• Social Orientation
• Empathy
• Integrity
• Sincerity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• EnterprisingHigh
• SocialHigh
• ConventionalMedium
• ArtisticLow
• InvestigativeLow
• RealisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where social and community service managers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Pittsfield, MA2.74× national avg
2. 2Amherst Town-Northampton, MA2.48× national avg
3. 3Burlington-South Burlington, VT2.48× national avg
4. 4Springfield, MA2.37× national avg
5. 5Johnstown, PA2.34× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Health Education SpecialistsCareer Change
• Directors, Religious Activities and EducationCareer Change
• Financial ManagersLateral Move
• Sales ManagersLateral Move

See the full career path from Social and Community Service Managers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.