How To Become A Community Organizer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a community organizer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Sarah Christa Butts MSW

Community organizers build a group of people or institutions to work toward a common goal through collective action. They unite people to work together to solve social problems and make the world a better place. They also encourage members to participate in fundraising, recruitments, and management to consolidate the position of the company they work for. Community organizers earn an average salary of $40,000 annually or $19 per hour.

Community organizers, also known as community mobilization specialists, are responsible for developing and coordinating programs designed to promote the organization and its services to the community and the target population. They promote activities and services through various forms of media and may be in charge of recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and training volunteer workers.

In terms of academic qualifications, community organizers typically hold a bachelor's or master's degree in social justice, social work, sociology, and other related fields. However, formal training is not a basic requirement to be a community organizer. Prospective candidates are strongly advised to volunteer with social organizations in order to get the lay of the land before venturing into the field of community organizing.

What general advice would you give to a Community Organizer?

Sarah Christa Butts MSW

Director of Public Policy, National Association of Social Workers

Social workers have much to offer across settings. We work in hospitals, schools, community-based clinics, non-profits, child welfare departments, and as managers, community organizers, and policy professionals. We seek to improve human well-being and health at the individual, community, and system levels. My advice to new social work graduates is to pursue your passion for helping others and focus on developing your skillset.

ScoreCommunity OrganizerUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,257

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

Growth Rate 12%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.28%

Asian 6.78%

Black or African American 10.34%

Hispanic or Latino 21.34%

Unknown 6.41%

White 53.85%

Gender

female 57.37%

male 42.63%

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

Complexity Level

1.8

Complexity Level is simple

7 - challenging

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Key steps to become a community organizer

Explore community organizer education requirements

Most common community organizer degrees

Bachelor's

67.6 %

Master's

12.1 %

Associate

10.7 %

Start to develop specific community organizer skills

Skills	Percentages
Community Outreach	14.71%
Public Speaking	7.11%
Social Justice	5.50%
Community Organizations	5.49%
Local Community	4.59%

Research community organizer duties and responsibilities

Manage local campaigns to improve the NYC public education system and perform research on school districts to gather and analyze statistics.
Grow and manage existing relationships in assign territories with physicians, hospitals, skil nursing and rehabilitation facilities and assist livings.
Lead strategist and coordinator for creating and advancing Latino community organizing throughout rural Oregon.
Grow and manage existing relationships in assign territories with physicians, hospitals, skil nursing and rehabilitation facilities and assist livings.

Prepare your community organizer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your community organizer resume.

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Apply for community organizer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a community organizer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

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