NOC 42201: Social and community service workers
What social and community service workers do
Social and community service workers administer and implement a variety of social assistance programs and community services, and assist clients to deal with personal and social problems. They are employed by social service and government agencies, mental health agencies, group homes, shelters, substance abuse centres, school boards, correctional facilities and other establishments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Review client background information, interview clients to obtain case history and prepare intake reports
- Assess clients' relevant skill strengths and needs
- Assist clients to sort out options and develop plans of action while providing necessary support and assistance
- Assess and investigate eligibility for social benefits
- Refer clients to other social services or assist clients in locating and utilizing community resources including legal, medical and financial assistance, housing, employment, transportation, day care and other services
- Counsel clients living in group homes and halfway houses, supervise their activities and assist in pre-release and release planning
- Participate in the selection and admission of clients to appropriate programs
- Implement life skills workshops, substance abuse treatment programs, behaviour management programs, youth services programs and other community and social service programs under the supervision of social services or health care professionals
- Meet with clients to assess their progress, give support and discuss any difficulties or problems
- Assist in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment programs by tracking clients' behavioural changes and responses to interventions
- Advise and aid recipients of social assistance and pensions
- Provide crisis intervention and emergency shelter services
- Implement and organize the delivery of specific services within the community
- Maintain contact with other social service agencies and health care providers involved with clients to provide information and obtain feedback on clients' overall progress
- Mobilise and coordinate volunteer resources and activities for a range of organizations such as human service agencies, health care facilities, arts and sports centres, etc.
- May maintain program statistics for purposes of evaluation and research
- May supervise social service support workers and volunteers.
Job titles under NOC 42201
110 job titles are classified here, including Aboriginal outreach worker, addictions worker, child and youth worker.
- Aboriginal centre coordinator
- Aboriginal outreach officer - social services
- Aboriginal outreach worker
- addictions worker
- addictions worker - compulsive gambling
- case aide - social services
- certified return-to-work coordinator - disability management
- certified return-to-work facilitator - disability management
- child and youth worker
- child life specialist
- child welfare worker
- child-care worker (except day care)
- community and social services worker
- community animator
- community centre coordinator
- community centre worker
- community counsellor - social services
- community development worker
- community liaison worker
- community mental health worker
- community organization worker
- community rehabilitation worker
- community service worker
- community services officer - social services
Employment requirements
- Completion of a college or university program in social work, child and youth care, psychology or other social science or health-related discipline is usually required.
- Previous work experience in a social service environment as a volunteer or in a support capacity may replace formal education requirements for some occupations in this unit group.
- Social service workers may be required to be a member of a provincial regulatory body in some provinces.
Social and community service 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 | $19.00/hr | $26.00/hr | $36.06/hr |
Toronto ON | $19.79/hr | $26.15/hr | $38.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $18.50/hr | $25.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $21.50/hr | $27.50/hr | $38.05/hr |
Calgary AB | $19.12/hr | $24.23/hr | $33.65/hr |
Edmonton AB | $17.14/hr | $24.00/hr | $40.30/hr |
Ottawa ON | $20.00/hr | $27.00/hr | $37.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $16.00/hr | $22.00/hr | $36.06/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $19.27/hr | $26.59/hr | $36.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $19.00/hr | $26.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $20.60/hr | $26.56/hr | $36.00/hr |
London ON | $18.00/hr | $24.04/hr | $31.43/hr |
Halifax NS | $18.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $32.31/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $20.19/hr | $28.00/hr | $34.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $17.00/hr | $23.08/hr | $34.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $17.70/hr | $24.50/hr | $32.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $17.00/hr | $24.86/hr | $34.71/hr |
Nova Scotia | $18.29/hr | $23.32/hr | $33.27/hr |
New Brunswick | $18.00/hr | $23.08/hr | $32.85/hr |
Quebec | $19.27/hr | $26.59/hr | $36.00/hr |
Ontario | $19.79/hr | $26.50/hr | $37.23/hr |
Manitoba | $16.00/hr | $21.00/hr | $36.34/hr |
Saskatchewan | $17.31/hr | $23.08/hr | $33.33/hr |
Alberta | $18.00/hr | $24.23/hr | $37.21/hr |
British Columbia | $21.00/hr | $27.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Using NOC 42201 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 110 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Activities leader - seniors (NOC 54100)
- Educational counsellors (NOC 41320)
- Instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203)
- Managers in social, community and correctional services (NOC 40030)
- Social workers (NOC 41300)
- Therapists in counselling and related specialized therapies (NOC 41301)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for social and community service workers?
Social and community service workers are NOC 2021 unit group 42201. Example job titles in this group include Aboriginal outreach worker, addictions worker, child and youth worker, community development worker.
What TEER is NOC 42201?
NOC 42201 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. 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 and community service workers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $26.00/hr, about $51,000 a year full-time, with a range of $19.00/hr to $36.06/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.