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Advocate, Case Worker / Manager, Clinical Social Worker, Clinician, Community Developer, Counsellor, Evaluator, Health Professional, Mediator, Navigator, RSW, RCSW, Social Policy Analyst, Therapist
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
Social workers promote social change and enhance people’s health and well-being. They help individuals develop problem-solving skills and feel self-empowered. There are many different areas of social work practice that are based upon interest, opportunity, skill, and education. It is not unusual for a social worker to specialize in one area and later apply their social work knowledge, skills, and abilities in another area of social work. Qualifications, specific duties, and client populations vary from setting to setting. Social workers are trusted professionals that help people throughout their lives to collaboratively solve problems and create positive change.
Key duties include:
Some areas of social work include:
Social workers address issues such as poverty and homelessness, improve equitable access to health, justice, and other resources, protect children and seniors, and improve the lives of individuals, couples, families, and communities.
Working conditions vary widely. Social workers often divide their time between direct client contact and desk time completing assessments, case studies, plans, and reports. While social workers are mostly in publicly funded and non-profit agencies, they can also be found in corporate organizations and private practice. Social work is highly collaborative. It often includes indirect work coordinating services with other professionals and community agencies, developing programs, and improving social policy.
Social workers may work a variety of hours: days, evenings, weekdays, and weekends. They may operate virtually or in person. They may work on-call hours for crisis response positions.
Social workers often must travel between multiple worksites, including client homes. Some social workers may be in a role that requires calling on and collaborating with emergency services.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in mentoring in order to counsel and provide therapy to clients to help them develop skills to deal with and resolve their social and personal problems; in serving on interdisciplinary teams of professionals working with client groups; in assisting in community development; and in providing mediation services
Interest in co-ordinating information to plan programs of assistance including referral to agencies that provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, medical treatment and other services; in conducting social research; and in developing prevention and intervention programs to meet community needs
Interest in investigating cases of child abuse and neglect and in taking authorized protective action; may supervise other social workers
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Social workers require:
Social workers should enjoy:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 86 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Nov 11, 2021 and Apr 28, 2025.
Review these skills to learn:
| Construction Specialization: Effective interpersonal skills | 45 |
|---|---|
| Construction Specialization: Excellent oral communication | 44 |
| Security and Safety: Criminal record check | 44 |
| Construction Specialization: Dependability | 43 |
| Construction Specialization: Excellent written communication | 42 |
| Attention to detail | 41 |
| Construction Specialization: Team player | 40 |
| Construction Specialization: Organized | 40 |
| Construction Specialization: Client focus | 39 |
| Tasks: Perform administrative tasks | 39 |
To become a social worker in Alberta, graduates must meet the Alberta College of Social Workers’ (ACSW) requirements and qualify with either
In many other jurisdictions, a social worker must have at least a bachelor’s degree of social work. Schools of social work may require a security clearance and may include in-person classes and unpaid supervised practice experience.
Applicants for social work positions often must undergo a criminal record check and vulnerable sector record check. They may also require a valid driver’s license, and their own vehicle insured for work purposes.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
Certain professional titles or duties within this occupation are protected by provincial legislation. Requirements vary if you use these titles or perform these duties.
The related legislation is shown below. If there are multiple related legislations, select a certification heading to learn about each one.
Social workers help individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations develop skills and resources. Their goal is to enhance social functioning and social environments.
Under Alberta’s Health Professions Act [pdf] and the Social Workers Profession Regulation [pdf], social workers must meet identified educational requirements and register with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW). Registration is necessary if you wish to provide professional services directly to the public, teach social work practice to ACSW members or social work students, or supervise registered members who provide services to the public. The College authorizes some registered members to perform restricted activities defined in the Regulation. Only registered members may use the protected titles Social Worker or Registered Social Worker. To use the protected title Clinical Social Worker, registered members must meet additional requirements.
For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Social Worker.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Social workers work for:
Social workers may advance to supervisory or administrative positions based on their level of education and work experience. Some social workers go into private practice in their areas of specialization. With a graduate degree, a social worker can move into post-secondary teaching and research positions.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Social workers
2016 NOC: 4152
86.3% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the short-term demand forecasted for this occupation in Alberta over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2024-2026 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Salaries for social workers vary a great deal depending on the employer and the worker’s duties, qualifications, and experience.
There are non-unionized and unionized social work employment opportunities involving more than one union. For information about current collective agreements in the public and not-for-profit sectors, see the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website for one example.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $19.73 | $41.58 | $29.57 | $28.27 |
| Overall | $20.47 | $53.39 | $37.73 | $42.12 |
| Top | $23.28 | $55.25 | $41.70 | $47.16 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $67,970 |
|---|---|
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $66,874 |
| Public Administration | $93,936 |
Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) website: www.acsw.ab.ca
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) website: www.aswb.org
Canadian Association of Social Work (CASW) website: www.casw-acts.ca
Social Work Association of Alberta (SWAA) website: www.myswaa.ca
Alberta Association of Black Social Workers (AABSW) website: aabsw.ca
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2025. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
