Almost one-third of employment in the social assistance industry is in many of the service occupations. Personal and home care aides help elderly, disabled, and ill persons live in their own homes, instead of in an institution, by providing routine personal care services. Although some are employed by public or private agencies, many are self-employed. Persons in food preparation and serving related occupations serve residents at social assistance institutions. Home health aides provide health-related services for ill, injured, disabled, or elderly individuals in their homes.

As in most industries, office and administrative support workers—secretaries and bookkeepers, for example—as well as managers account for many jobs. However, social assistance employs a much smaller percentage of production; installation, maintenance, and repair; and sales jobs than does the economy as a whole.

Certain occupations are more heavily concentrated in some segments of the industry than in others. Individual and family services, for example, employs the greatest numbers of social workers, social and human service assistants, and personal and home care aides. Vocational rehabilitation services provides the most jobs for adult literacy and remedial and self-enrichment education teachers.