Human Services — Salary, ROI & AI-Proof Rating at 46 Schools

What Human Services Graduates Do

Your career in human services begins on the front lines as a social and human service assistant. Working in community centers, nonprofit offices, or government agencies, your day involves hands-on support: helping a family apply for food assistance, connecting an individual with transportation services, or documenting client progress in case management software. This is where you build foundational skills and a reputation for reliability.

With experience, you can advance into a leadership role as a social and community service manager. Your focus will shift from direct client work to overseeing programs, managing budgets, writing grant proposals, and supervising a team of assistants. This leadership track is where your earning potential increases significantly. The demand for both entry-level assistants and experienced managers is growing steadily.

While AI tools may eventually help with administrative tasks like scheduling or analyzing program data, the core of your work—building trust, navigating complex human situations, and providing direct support—relies on distinctly human skills that cannot be automated.

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 2 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Human Services. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship	Training Hours	Type	Salary RangeSalary	Growth
Direct Support Specialist (Alternate Title: Assistant Case Manager) RAPIDS 1040CB	Competency	Competency	$38K – $45,120 – $53K	6.4%
Peer Specialist (Bureau Of Prisons Only) RAPIDS 2039	2000 hrs ~1.0 yrs	Time	$38K – $45,120 – $53K	6.4%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Best Schools for Human Services

Top 20 of 46 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and AI-proof analysis.

#	School	Score	EarningsEarn	ROI
1	Central Maine Community College Auburn, ME	59 57–59	$40,029/yr	47.1x
2	Tacoma Community College Tacoma, WA	57 55–57	$41,008/yr	40.7x
3	Century College White Bear Lake, MN	56 53–57	$41,007/yr	39.3x
4	Metropolitan Community College Area Omaha, NE	56 54–56	$34,392/yr	51.3x
5	Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO	55 53–55	$34,931/yr	43.5x
6	CUNY Bronx Community College Bronx, NY	52 50–53	$36,338/yr	36.7x
7	University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ	51 48–52	$40,894/yr	17.1x
8	Quinsigamond Community College Worcester, MA	51 49–51	$36,101/yr	31.0x
9	York County Community College Wells, ME	50 47–51	$29,599/yr	43.6x
10	Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover, DE	49 46–50	$30,923/yr	36.1x
11	Mitchell Technical College Mitchell, SD	48 46–49	$35,070/yr	22.3x
12	Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY	48 45–49	$32,887/yr	28.8x
13	Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN	48 42–48	$29,762/yr	33.6x
14	Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA	47 45–48	$33,674/yr	23.4x
15	Nassau Community College Garden City, NY	46 40–47	$27,581/yr	36.9x
16	Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA	46 39–47	$24,893/yr	44.9x
17	Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud, MN	45 42–46	$33,870/yr	15.3x
18	Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay, WI	45 41–45	$33,870/yr	13.8x
19	Fulton-Montgomery Community College Johnstown, NY	45 43–46	$30,075/yr	23.8x
20	Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala, FL	44 40–44	$33,870/yr	10.8x
21	Rasmussen University-North Dakota Fargo, ND	44 41–45	$33,870/yr	13.0x
22	Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford, IL	44 41–45	$33,870/yr	12.1x
23	Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka, KS	44 40–44	$33,870/yr	10.6x
24	Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC	44 43–45	$27,781/yr	27.6x
25	Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY	44 40–45	$27,366/yr	28.4x
26	Monroe Community College Rochester, NY	44 39–45	$26,571/yr	30.0x
27	Columbia College Columbia, MO	43 40–44	$35,001/yr	7.9x
28	Dutchess Community College Poughkeepsie, NY	43 38–43	$24,622/yr	30.2x
29	Bryant & Stratton College-Online Orchard Park, NY	42 38–42	$31,677/yr	9.0x
30	Lake Area Technical College Watertown, SD	42 38–42	$26,730/yr	22.1x
31	Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo Buffalo, NY	41 38–42	$31,677/yr	7.3x
32	Bryant & Stratton College-Parma Parma, OH	41 38–42	$31,677/yr	7.1x
33	Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA	41 38–42	$31,677/yr	7.6x
34	Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Wauwatosa, WI	41 38–42	$31,677/yr	6.9x
35	Mohawk Valley Community College Utica, NY	41 38–41	$25,855/yr	20.1x
36	Mount Wachusett Community College Gardner, MA	40 35–41	$22,370/yr	27.5x
37	Ultimate Medical Academy Clearwater, FL	40 36–41	$20,687/yr	—
38	Jamestown Community College Jamestown, NY	39 33–40	$21,430/yr	28.9x
39	Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA	37 33–38	$26,558/yr	5.3x
40	Bryant & Stratton College-Online Orchard Park, NY	37 33–37	$22,878/yr	13.4x
41	Purdue University Global West Lafayette, IN	37 34–38	$20,566/yr	19.3x
42	Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo Buffalo, NY	36 33–36	$22,878/yr	11.0x
43	Bryant & Stratton College-Parma Parma, OH	36 32–36	$22,878/yr	10.7x
44	Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA	36 33–37	$22,878/yr	11.4x
45	Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Wauwatosa, WI	36 32–36	$22,878/yr	10.5x
46	Monroe College Bronx, NY	32 29–33	$19,164/yr	4.3x

Highest Earning Human Services Programs

Schools where Human Services graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	Score
Tacoma Community College	$41,008/yr	57
Century College	$41,007/yr	56
University of Phoenix-Arizona	$40,894/yr	51
Central Maine Community College	$40,029/yr	59
CUNY Bronx Community College	$36,338/yr	52
Quinsigamond Community College	$36,101/yr	51
Mitchell Technical College	$35,070/yr	48
Columbia College	$35,001/yr	43
Saint Louis Community College	$34,931/yr	55
Metropolitan Community College Area	$34,392/yr	56

Best ROI for Human Services

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Human Services.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	Score
Metropolitan Community College Area	51.3x	$34,392/yr	56
Central Maine Community College	47.1x	$40,029/yr	59
Community College of Philadelphia	44.9x	$24,893/yr	46
York County Community College	43.6x	$29,599/yr	50
Saint Louis Community College	43.5x	$34,931/yr	55
Tacoma Community College	40.7x	$41,008/yr	57
Century College	39.3x	$41,007/yr	56
Nassau Community College	36.9x	$27,581/yr	46
CUNY Bronx Community College	36.7x	$36,338/yr	52
Delaware Technical Community College-Terry	36.1x	$30,923/yr	49

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Human Services degree programs stack up on earnings, AI disruption risk, and ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Human Services graduates earn?

Across 46 schools, Human Services graduates earn an average of $29,997 per year in their first year after completing the program. Earnings range from $19,164 to $41,008 depending on the school.

How AI-proof is a career in Human Services?

Human Services is rated "Resilient" for AI resilience — 64% of job tasks involve hands-on work shielded from AI automation. That means most career tasks in this field rely on skills AI cannot replicate.

What's the top-ranked school for Human Services?

Central Maine Community College leads all 46 programs with a TradeSchoolOutlook Score of 59/100. Graduates earn $40,029/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.

Do Human Services graduates get a good return on their tuition?

Typical graduates earn 22.7 times what they paid in tuition within a decade. This is a strong return on investment. Look at per-school ROI in the table above — averages can mask significant variation.