A List of Helping Professions: Big Hearts, Big Opportunities

To some, work is just work. But there are also many who see their career as a calling. If helping people live better is your purpose in life, there are plenty of career options in the helping professions.

What is a Helping Professional?

Simply put, a helping professional is someone whose work helps others.

"I would define a helping profession as a career field dedicated to improving the well-being of individuals, families or communities," said Dr. Tharinia Oyegun, an associate dean of social sciences at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). "Helping professions typically focus on emotional, psychological, physical or social well-being and often require empathy, strong communication skills and a commitment to ethical practice."

In her role, Oyegun supports SNHU's criminal justice and human services programs, and she's also worked in a variety of helping professions throughout her career. "I was a volunteer juvenile probation officer, worked in a crime lab and coroner’s office, and also worked within social service agencies that assisted juveniles in need," she said.

Whether you want to deliver patient care, help make your community safer or support programs that protect and rehabilitate vulnerable populations, working in one of the helping professions can facilitate your personal growth and professional development.

What Jobs Allow You to Help People?

There are a many paths to consider if you're interested in the helping professions. "My professional career spanned three disciplines: criminal justice, forensic science and human services," said Oyegun.

She said there are a variety of helping roles in each of these areas, offering the field of forensic science as an example. "In forensic science, you may have forensic interviewers, forensic nurses or forensic psychologists who may assist those in need of such services because of contact with the criminal justice system," she said.

With the right qualifications, you can also find opportunities to help others in education, healthcare, public safety and more.

Here's a list of 9 options to consider if you're interested in a career helping others.

Nurse

Nurses make a huge difference in people's lives, offering compassionate care in a variety of health care settings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), some of these settings include:

• Hospitals
• Physicians’ offices
• Nursing care facilities
• Outpatient clinics
• Schools

The need for registered nurses is projected to grow 6% through 2033, BLS reports — faster than the average career growth for all professions.* If you want to become a nurse, there are several different levels of nursing degrees to explore.

To become licensed, nurses must graduate from an approved nursing program and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), according to BLS.

The median annual wage for registered nurses is $86,070 in 2023, BLS said.* The lowest 10% earned less than $63,720, and the highest 10% earned more than $132,680, BLS reports.*

Learn more about how to become a nurse.

Therapist

More than 50 million American adults dealt with mental illness in 2021, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). With issues such as addiction, childhood trauma and dementia in the aging population driving the demand for licensed counselors, the need for them is expected to grow 19% through 2033, BLS reports.*

As a therapist or mental health counselor, you can assist people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds and practice in non-profit, hospital, government and private settings. The median annual wage for a mental health counselor was $53,710 in 2023, with higher salaries found in the government sector and specialty hospitals, according to BLS.*

To pursue this role, you'll need to earn a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, according to BLS. (SNHU's clinical mental health counseling program is not currently enrolling new students.) You'll also need to undergo rigorous post-graduate training to become licensed in your state.

Take a closer look at how to become a therapist.

Teacher

Have you ever had a teacher who changed your life for the better? You could be that person for other students and impact a new generation of learners.

BLS reports teachers and instructors made a median salary of $64,390 annually in 2023, with the bottom 10% of earners making $32,740 and the top 10% making $108,380.*

To become a teacher, you'll likely need a bachelor's degree and licensure to teach specific grade levels or subjects, but qualifications vary between states as well as between public and private schools, according to BLS. Some schools, like SNHU, provide undergraduate education for licensure programs. If you already have a bachelor's degree, you could earn a master's in education to further develop your expertise in teaching.

Studying education could help you become a teacher outside of the school system, too. For instance, Jodi Gleason '17G '22EdD said she earned her doctorate in educational leadership from SNHU to help educate her peers in law enforcement about disability awareness and crisis intervention.

"This degree has opened some doors for me to teach, train and talk about my research and hopefully help change someone's views, tactics (or) thoughts on mental health and law enforcement," Gleason said.

Learn more about how to become a teacher.

Social Worker

Helping people is what social work is all about, making this field a popular choice for those looking to make a positive impact on others. Social workers help people access services like therapy, help communities improve social and health services and participate in legislative processes, according to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

BLS reports requirements can vary depending on your location, but you'll likely need a bachelor's degree and clinical social workers require a master’s degree, supervised clinical post-graduate work and a license for a social work role.* (SNHU does not currently offer bachelor's or master's degrees in social work.)

The job outlook for social workers is expected to increase 7% through 2033, and the median annual wage for social workers was $58,380 in 2023, according to BLS.*

Read how to become a social worker.

Human Services Professional

Human services professionals channel their compassion and empathy in a range of roles that help those in need — from caseworker to group home coordinator to juvenile court liaison. If you want to care for or advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations in their communities, this may appeal to you.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in human services with a concentration in child and family services, Lala Slan '23 said her education at SNHU gave her a background to help those in need.

"My goals are to open up facilities for youth and the homeless population," Slan said. "This journey has shown me that I am on the right path to help others, and it's who I am."

Workers entering human services professions typically have a bachelor's degree, BLS reports — often in human services like Slan or in a related field such as social work, public health or public administration.

According to BLS, the demand for social and community service managers is projected to increase 8% by 2033.*

Human services professionals work in various sectors including government, nonprofit, health care and mental health services, and the median wage for social and community service managers was $77,030 in 2023, according to BLS.*

Victim Advocate

Victim advocates act as support for people who are victims or survivors of crimes. If you want to help people who need help most, this could be an opportunity to do just that.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, crime victim assistance programs typically provide a range of services (PDF source). Some of these include:

• Criminal justice advocacy
• Crisis intervention
• Emergency shelter
• Emergency transportation

Victim advocates frequently assist with victim impact statements and support clients in police interviews or court appearances, too, but the Department of Justice notes that services and rights vary between states.

Social and human service assistants including victim advocates made a median salary of $41,410 in 2023, BLS reports.*

Some degree options for victim advocates might include a bachelor's in human services or a bachelor's in criminal justice with a concentration in human services and advocacy.

Learn more about how to become a victim advocate.

Academic Advisor

Academic advisors assist students throughout their education. This helping profession can make a difference in students' lives by providing important guidance and support. In fact, some students even credit their academic advisors as a primary support system while earning a degree.

Kathleen Dalton '23 said her academic advisor at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) gave her confidence from their very first call together.

"I am not sure I would have continued beyond the first few terms without her consistent communication and feedback," Dalton said. "She saw more in me than I saw in myself and could show it to me."

As an academic advisor, you'll be dedicated to student success. You'll help students acclimate to their coursework and work with students through any challenges they face throughout their educational journeys.

School and career counselors and advisors made a median of $61,710 in 2023, according to BLS, with 4% growth projected through 2033.*

Learn more about academic advising.

Public Health Officer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a major division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a national research institution dedicated to educating and informing the public on health issues from general wellness and genetic disorders to preventing virus transmission and eradicating infectious diseases. The CDC notes that while medical personnel and physicians treat individuals, "public health professionals focus on improving health at the population level through disease control and prevention.”

Individuals with a degree in public health may provide education on the prevention and treatment of illnesses within a community or a hospital setting or work on projects related to epidemiology or environmental health.

According to BLS, community health educators assess a population's health needs and teach individuals and communities about behaviors that promote wellness; they collect data, develop programs, train health professionals and advocate for policies that promote improved health. The demand for community health educators is expected to grow 7% through 2033, commanding a median salary of $62,860 in 2023, BLS reports.*

Community Service Manager

Do you have management experience or see yourself as a leader? You could work in a leadership role by becoming a community service manager. According to BLS, community service managers supervise organizations or programs that provide services to individuals or support public well-being.

BLS noted that these role comes with all the typical managerial responsibilities with working for organizations supporting populations like:

• Children
• People who are homeless
• Older adults
• Veterans

Social and community service managers earned a median annual salary of $77,030 in 2023 with a faster-than-average 8% growth rate through 2033, BLS said.*

Why Do People Go Into Helping Professions?

People are often drawn to these roles because they want to make a positive impact on individuals and society, according to Oyegun.

She also said many who enter the helping professions do so as a result of their own experiences or the experiences of someone close to them. "They decide they want to enter the profession to either ‘join the giving club’ or they want to change or fix something that they feel is ‘broken,'" Oyegun said.

As an example, she said many people who work as substance abuse counselors have overcome substance abuse in their own lives and want to help others do the same.

Whether through treating patients as a medical or mental health professional, providing support as a victim advocate or transforming learning outcomes in the classroom as a teacher, you can make a difference through a career in the helping professions, too.

What Are Some Degrees for Helping Professionals?

If you're ready to become a helping professional, earning a degree related to your field of choice could help you get your start.

At SNHU, for instance, you could pursue degrees in:

• Criminal justice
• Education
• Healthcare
• Human services
• Psychology

You can also find helping professions in fields you wouldn't expect. For example, a degree in political science might lead you to work in activism or community organizing.

"My key advice to students is to research," Oyegun said. "Often, students think of human services as the only degree for helping professions when there in fact are many different degree pathways."

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

Krysten Godfrey Maddocks ’11G is a writer who covers K-12 and higher education topics, including policy and the role of digital technology in education. She spent almost a decade working in various marketing roles at an educational assessment company before launching a strategic marketing company. Maddocks earned a master's degree in marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor's degree in English/ journalism from the University of New Hampshire. Connect with her on LinkedIn.