What is an adoption worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted Expert
Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an adoption worker. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.7 an hour? That's $49,287 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 64,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an Adoption Worker?

L

Lillian Wichinsky Ph.D.

Associate Dean, University of Nevada - Reno

A master's degree in social work maximizes the potential of social workers salaries and their level of expertise to provide needed services. Programs offered by CSWE accredited programs like the University of Nevada Reno, School of Social Work can maximize the potential of a social worker's career.
ScoreAdoption WorkerUS Average
Salary
3.9

Avg. Salary $49,287

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
10.0

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.51%

Asian 2.67%

Black or African American 13.37%

Hispanic or Latino 15.12%

Unknown 4.19%

White 63.14%

Gender

female 86.43%

male 13.57%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Adoption Worker career paths

Key steps to become an adoption worker

  1. Explore adoption worker education requirements

    Most common adoption worker degrees

    Bachelor's

    63.9 %

    Master's

    30.8 %

    Associate

    4.5 %
  2. Start to develop specific adoption worker skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Mental Health15.48%
    Crisis Intervention10.31%
    Protective Services8.77%
    Child Abuse7.98%
    State Agencies7.97%
  3. Complete relevant adoption worker training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New adoption workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an adoption worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real adoption worker resumes.
  4. Research adoption worker duties and responsibilities

    • Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.
    • Coordinate admissions of active duty service members and veterans to the inpatient rehabilitation/medical unit after suffering a new spinal cord injury.
    • Complete screenings for possible cases of child abuse or neglect.-assign investigations and assessments to individual counties in the state of Missouri.
    • Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.
  5. Prepare your adoption worker resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your adoption worker resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an adoption worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Adoption Worker Resume templates

    Build a professional Adoption Worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Adoption Worker resume.
    Adoption Worker Resume
    Adoption Worker Resume
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    Adoption Worker Resume
    Adoption Worker Resume
  6. Apply for adoption worker jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an adoption worker job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Adoption Worker Job

Zippi

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Average adoption worker salary

The average Adoption Worker salary in the United States is $49,287 per year or $24 per hour. Adoption worker salaries range between $36,000 and $66,000 per year.

Average Adoption Worker Salary
$49,287 Yearly
$23.70 hourly

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Adoption Worker reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024
Cons

can be easy to get burnt out, pay is ok


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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