Jobs in Human Sciences: Salary and Career Facts

Find out about the types of jobs you could pursue in human sciences. Read on to learn more about career options along with salary and education information.

What Careers Are Available in Human Science?

In the narrow definition of human services, you could find careers tied to counseling, possibly as a rehabilitation counselor. These professionals consult with medical personnel to determine the best care for someone with a disability. They help their clients develop skills and access needed services in order to live as independently and fully as possible. Another career, social work, requires counselors to identify people within communities in need of help, such as victims of child abuse or the mentally ill, and connect them with appropriate support services. They can work in a variety of settings, including schools and healthcare facilities.

In the broader sense of human sciences, you could be working in merchandising and design, perhaps as a fashion designer. Fashion designers utilize their design skills, style knowledge and creative nature to create clothing, shoes, and/or accessories. They need good business skills to market their work and oversee production.

The following chart provides an overview of what you need to know about these three occupations.

	Rehabilitation Counselor	Social Worker	Fashion Designer
Degree Required	Master's degree	Bachelor's degree, master's degree for clinical work	Bachelor's degree
Education Field of Study	Rehabilitation counseling or similar field	Social work or similar field	Textile design, fine art, merchandising
Key Responsibilities	Patient counseling toward independent living	Assessing family needs, counseling, connecting clients with services	Creating stylish and marketable wearable products
Licensure/Certification	Licensure often required	Licensure usually required	N/A
Job Growth (2020-2030)	10%*	12%*	0%*
Median Salary (2020)	$37,530*	$51,760*	$75,810*

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What is the Human Sciences Field?

Human sciences departments are often found within colleges and universities. These departments offer a variety of multidisciplinary degree programs that can include the following subject areas: consumer affairs, family and child services, merchandising and design, hospitality management, event planning, kinesiology and culinary science. Some of these subject areas, particularly family, adult and child services, fall under the narrower category of human services as well as the broader category of human sciences.

What Types of Responsibilities Would I Have?

Your overall responsibilities would depend upon your position, level of experience and workplace needs. Because human sciences is a broad field, job responsibilities vary widely.

As a family services worker, for example, the National Organization of Human Services (NOHS) indicates that you might work under the supervision of administrative and professional staff, such as psychologists, social workers and other care providers (www.nationalhumanservices.org). You may, for example, perform clerical tasks, interview clients and provide counseling.

Other responsibilities you may have as a family services worker, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), include case management (www.bls.gov). You would determine a client's eligibility for medical, food, transportation and other needs. If you work in a group home or shelter, you might teach life skills, lead group activities or provide crisis intervention and emotional support. If you work in an outpatient clinic or rehabilitation program, you'll most likely be directly involved with client support, according to the BLS. Your responsibilities might include assisting clients with daily living skills and ensuring that they follow their treatment plans.

What Type of Salary Could I Earn?

In general, your salary will be determined by your level of experience and the position you hold. The median salary for child, family and school social workers, according to the BLS report for May 2020, was $48,430 per year. Rehabilitation counselors earned a median of $37,530 per year in 2020. The BLS May 2020 report also lists median salary figures for fashion designers. They earned a median of $75,810 per year.

What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?

Many of the related jobs in this field will require master's degrees, such as occupational therapists and mental health counselors. Occupational therapists work with a variety of clients with different problems, including physical injuries or cognitive disabilities. They help them adjust to the day to day activities in a therapeutic manner. Mental health counselors help patients manage or overcome mental health issues. They could work with individuals or in group settings. With a bachelor's degree, one could become an art director supervising the creation of visual campaigns for magazine layouts, television commercials or movie productions.