Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Machines can already do 36% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 56%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 36% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 1% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 56% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 392,550 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $59,550 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 84% for contact with people.
- Also called: Adoption Social Worker, Case Manager, Case Worker, Child Protective Services Social Worker (CPS Social Worker).
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain case history records and prepare reports | 20% | 63% to 81% | |
| Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs | 12% | 50% to 72% | |
| Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty | 10% | 22% to 42% | |
| Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided | 8% | 29% to 50% | |
| Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions | 7% | 28% to 48% | |
| Counsel individuals, groups, families, or communities regarding issues including mental health, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, physical abuse, rehabilitation, social adjustment, child care, or medical care | 7% | 32% to 50% | |
| Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students' problems and arranging for needed services | 7% | 20% to 38% | |
| Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required | 5% | 40% to 64% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills child, family, and school social workers use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Mental Health Counselors55% of tasks by 2035
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants50% of tasks by 2035 · US median $48,430
- Rehabilitation Counselors55% of tasks by 2035 · US median $46,850
- Patient Representatives49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $50,290
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Child, Family, and School Social Workers?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of child, family, and school social workers?
Machines can do 36% of the tasks of child, family, and school social workers today and 56% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 21-1021.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Child, Family, and School Social Workers: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/child-family-and-school-social-workers/