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About The Career
Social service professionals work in government departments, NGOs, community organisations, international agencies and social enterprises. They plan and run programs in health, education, water & sanitation, environment, livelihoods, gender & youth empowerment and social innovation. Roles range from frontline workers and social workers to program managers, policy experts and researchers. Growth comes through experience, higher qualifications (MPH, MSW, MBA/PGDM), and field track records — skilled practitioners are in demand by state programmes, multilateral agencies and large NGOs. (Examples: NHM hires CHOs; state education departments hire teachers; UNICEF, WHO and large NGOs run WASH & livelihoods projects.)
Social Services
Persona (Who suits this career best?)
Minimum Required Qualification
- Empathetic and community-oriented
- Good communicator and team player
- Practical problem solver and patient with fieldwork
- Comfortable with basic data, reporting and local languages
- Varies by role. Common entry routes: Class XII + short diploma / certificate for frontline roles; Bachelor’s (BA/BSc) for many entry NGO roles; MPH / MSW / MA / MBA (Development/Rural Management) for program and management roles; PhD for research/policy. Specific government posts require specific degrees and tests (e.g., health posts, teacher posts).
Stream of Study
Entry Pathways
- Any stream, but one has to complete graduation atleast.
- Through any fellowship program like Teach For India, Gandhi Fellowship, SBI Young India Fellowship, etc.
- Bachelor’s (Social Work, Development Studies, Public Health, Education) → NGO/CSR/State projects.
- Postgraduate (MPH, MSW, MBA/PGDM in Development/Rural Management) → program officer, manager, policy roles. Internships, field experience and local language skills greatly improve hiring chances.
Average Starting Salary
- Heavy variation by role and employer: ₹10,000 – ₹40,000 per month for many frontline/entry NGO & government project roles; ₹30,000 – ₹70,000+ per month for program officers, managers, or technical specialists in larger NGOs, consulting or government schemes. International agencies and top consultancies pay much higher.
Health (Community & Public Health)
Health careers in social services include helping people access medicine, prevent disease, and run community health programmes — from house-to-house outreach to managing public health projects.
Education
Education careers support children’s learning — from classroom teachers to education programme managers who design large school improvement programmes.
WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene)
WASH professionals make sure communities have safe drinking water, toilets and good hygiene — basic services that prevent disease and improve life quality.
Environment & Climate (Conservation & Policy)
Environment careers protect natural resources and help communities adapt to climate change — from conservation fieldwork to environmental policy and green jobs.
Livelihoods & Economic Inclusion
Livelihoods work helps people earn stable incomes — through skills training, micro-enterprises, farmer support, and market linkages.
Women & Youth Empowerment
This area supports women and young people to gain skills, rights and economic independence — through education, entrepreneurship, legal aid, and leadership programmes.
Social Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise Development
Social entrepreneurs build businesses that solve social problems — combining sustainable revenue with measurable social impact.
Program Management & NGO Operations
Program managers make social programs run smoothly — they plan, manage budgets, hire staff, monitor results and keep funders informed.
