Social and Community Service Managers Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of social and community service managers to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035 (about 16,600 more jobs), with about 18,500 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $80,390 a year ranks 215th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +7.2%
- Openings a year
- 18,500
- Median pay
- $80,390
- Pay rank
- 215th of 825
Is employment of social and community service managers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of social and community service managers to rise 7.2% (about 16,600 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +6.2% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 37 management occupations with a projection. That change ranks 120th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 231,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 247,700 |
| Projected change | +7.2% |
| Openings a year | 18,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 231,000 jobs here differ from the 209,330 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 18,500 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 165th most of 830 occupations. About 91% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 1,660 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for social and community service managers rank?
The median of $80,390 a year ranks 215th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Work experience in a related occupation: less than 5 years.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Managers | +5.5% | 16,800 | $149,280 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | +24.2% | 62,300 | $123,860 |
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | -3.1% | 5,200 | $59,300 |
| Chief Executives | +3.2% | 19,100 | $213,990 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | -0.3% | 20,600 | $105,870 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | +1.8% | 14,500 | $104,590 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | +4.4% | 33,900 | $59,550 |
| Rehabilitation Counselors | +2.2% | 8,200 | $46,850 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.