ASSISTANT FAMILY SERVICE WORKER 3
Career Family: ASSISTANT FAMILY SERVICE WORKER
In New Jersey, Assistant Family Service Worker 3 is filled through the competitive process: candidates take a civil service exam and are hired off a ranked list, not picked at will.
On the Assistant Family Service Worker ladder it falls between Assistant Family Service Worker 2 and Assistant Family Service Worker 4. Qualifying turns on 3 years of relevant experience. The FY2026 range lands between $47,157 and $68,252, and state payroll currently lists about 23 people in the title, most of them at Children and Families.
How to get hired
- Watch for an open-competitive announcement for Assistant Family Service Worker 3 on the NJ Civil Service Commission jobs portal. Announcements run for a fixed filing window.
- Apply during that window and sit the examination. Depending on the title, that can be a written test, a rating of your training and experience, or a mix of the two.
- Passing scores go onto a ranked eligible list. Veterans get preference points added on top of their score.
- When an agency has a vacancy it must appoint from the top of that list under the "Rule of Three." Many competitive jobs are first filled provisionally while the list is being built.
Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.
Pay ladder: Assistant Family Service Worker series
- Assistant Family Service Worker 1 — $38,027 – $54,571
- Assistant Family Service Worker 2 — $43,237 – $62,340
- Assistant Family Service Worker 3 — $47,157 – $68,252 (this title)
- Assistant Family Service Worker 4 — $51,480 – $74,754
Promoting to Assistant Family Service Worker 4 raises the top of the band by about $6,503. Its top salary lands around the 11th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY2026 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 23 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $67,499. The agencies employing the most are:
- Children and Families (23)
Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.
Official job specification
The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.
Definition
Under general supervision of a Supervising Family Service Specialist 1, or 2 or other supervisory official in the Department of Children and Families, assists professional staff in providing services to clients with social, emotional, psychological, or behavioral problems which may include transportation services, training and work programs, home and money management, setting up medical or dental appointments, family planning services, parenting techniques, receiving complaints involving desertion and abusive parents and supplementary supportive visits under the general supervision of a case worker; participates in case assessments; does other related duties.
Examples of work
Oversees visitation between children and families. Conducts field visits to assist clients to utilize community resources such as clinics, hospitals, and other social agencies. Transports clients to and from family visits, medical appointments, schools, and other service providers. Obtains information from resources such as schools, clinics, and other social agencies. Interprets and explains agency policy regarding client rights and explains other administrative procedures. Assists clients in handling their responsibilities as parents such as completing forms, registering children in schools, obtaining inoculations, and referring children to recreational programs and youth activities. Develops and maintains a community resource file. May provide child care. Assists families to develop home management, financial management, homemaking and parenting skills, and to address housing problems. Assists in assessing clients' problems and needs and identifies plans to meet these needs. Notes and records significant incidents and other developments with clients. Assists professional staff in projects and surveys and gathers other information as required. Assesses existing and new foster care and day care homes. Records family visit summaries. Prepares reports of significant incidents and other developments with clients in an articulate and informative manner. May assist in vehicle maintenance. Maintains essential records and files. Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Experience
Three (3) years of experience in social services providing services to clients which may include providing basic information, services like transportation and overseeing visitation, and gathering information regarding history to ascertain client needs.
License
Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Knowledge of the problems likely to be encountered by clients with social, emotional, psychological, or behavioral problems. Knowledge of the types of community services and organizations likely to be needed by the client population served. Knowledge of the methods used to gather information. Ability to interpret laws, rules, and regulations and apply them to specific situations. Ability to organize work and develop appropriate work methods. Ability to operate a motor vehicle for an extended period of time. Ability to perform heavy lifting of children and their belongs. Ability to conduct field visits to evaluate and assess situations. Ability to participate in case assessments. Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those interested or involved in the work of the unit. Ability to interpret and explain social service programs, goals, and eligibility requirements. Ability to learn from an in-service training program. Ability to conduct interviews and gather information. Ability to prepare reports. Ability to maintain essential records and files. Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units. Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication. Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
Note
The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. Thirty (30) semester hour credits from an accredited college, which must include twelve (12) semester hour credits in the behavioral sciences, may be substituted for one (1) year of the experience listed above.