NOC 41300: Social workers
What social workers do
Social workers help individuals, couples, families, groups, communities and organizations develop the skills and resources they need to enhance social functioning and provide counselling, therapy and referral to other supportive social services. Social workers also respond to other social needs and issues such as unemployment, racism and poverty. They are employed by hospitals, school boards, social service agencies, child welfare organizations, correctional facilities, community agencies, employee assistance programs and Aboriginal band councils, or they may work in private practice.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, to assess their situation and problems and determine the types of services required
- Provide counsel and therapy to assist clients in developing skills to deal with and resolve their social and personal problems
- Plan programs of assistance for clients including referral to agencies that provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, medical treatment and other services
- Investigate cases of child abuse or neglect and take authorized protective action when necessary
- Serve as members on interdisciplinary teams of professionals working with client groups
- Act as advocates for client groups in the community, lobby for solutions to problems directly affecting client groups and develop prevention and intervention programs to meet community needs
- Develop or advise on social policy legislation, conduct social research and assist in community development
- Provide mediation services and psychosocial assessments
- Evaluate the effectiveness of counselling and social programs
- May provide public education and consultation to professionals or groups regarding counselling services, issues and methods
- May supervise other social workers.
- Social workers may specialize in fields of practice such as child welfare, family services, corrections, gerontology or addictions.
Job titles under NOC 41300
26 job titles are classified here, including coordinator of social work, medical social worker, psychiatric social worker.
- addiction social worker
- case management consultant - social work
- case management social worker
- case work consultant - social work
- casework supervisor - social work
- caseworker - social work
- certified social worker
- child welfare social worker
- children's aid investigator
- coordinator of social work
- family social worker
- geriatric social worker
- group social worker
- human relations officer - social work
- intake worker - social services
- medical social worker
- psychiatric social worker
- registered social worker
- school social worker
- social casework consultant
- social work coordinator
- social work officer
- social work officer - Canadian Armed Forces
- social work supervisor
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in social work is required in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
- In Alberta, a bachelor's degree or diploma in social work is required.
- Supervised practical experience is usually required.
- Successful completion of provincial written and oral examinations may be required.
- Registration with a provincial governing body is mandatory to practise as a social worker in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
- Use of the titles "Social Worker" and "Registered Social Worker" is regulated in all provinces.
- Membership in a provincial association of social workers is usually required.
Social workers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $25.00/hr | $38.46/hr | $50.26/hr |
Toronto ON | $23.50/hr | $36.66/hr | $51.78/hr |
Montréal QC | $23.59/hr | $36.00/hr | $48.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $25.00/hr | $36.92/hr | $52.20/hr |
Calgary AB | $23.97/hr | $39.60/hr | $51.24/hr |
Edmonton AB | $25.55/hr | $38.00/hr | $51.24/hr |
Ottawa ON | $28.00/hr | $39.00/hr | $55.90/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $27.12/hr | $35.00/hr | $49.10/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $25.00/hr | $37.00/hr | $48.68/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $22.50/hr | $41.21/hr | $56.04/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $26.58/hr | $43.67/hr | $49.45/hr |
London ON | $27.00/hr | $41.76/hr | $53.80/hr |
Halifax NS | $24.00/hr | $36.26/hr | $47.18/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $23.60/hr | $35.71/hr | $52.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $23.06/hr | $36.00/hr | $44.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $27.08/hr | $39.00/hr | $46.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $33.65/hr | $40.01/hr | $47.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $24.00/hr | $36.26/hr | $47.18/hr |
New Brunswick | $22.50/hr | $40.00/hr | $45.64/hr |
Quebec | $25.00/hr | $37.00/hr | $48.68/hr |
Ontario | $25.00/hr | $38.66/hr | $53.32/hr |
Manitoba | $27.47/hr | $35.00/hr | $49.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $27.08/hr | $38.00/hr | $46.00/hr |
Alberta | $23.97/hr | $39.60/hr | $51.24/hr |
British Columbia | $26.18/hr | $36.81/hr | $52.00/hr |
Using NOC 41300 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 26 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Educational counsellors (NOC 41320)
- Managers in social, community and correctional services (NOC 40030)
- Social and community service workers (NOC 42201)
- Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (NOC 41301)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for social workers?
Social workers are NOC 2021 unit group 41300. Example job titles in this group include coordinator of social work, medical social worker, psychiatric social worker, social work supervisor.
What TEER is NOC 41300?
NOC 41300 is TEER 1 (University degree). Usually requires a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate), or experience from a related TEER 2 occupation. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do social workers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $38.46/hr, about $75,000 a year full-time, with a range of $25.00/hr to $50.26/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.