Advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living, investigating complaints about care, rights and treatment. BLS does not publish separate figures for social and human service assistants; it counts them within social and human service assistant (SOC 21-1093), whose median pay is $45,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 21-1093
- Community and Social Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Long-Term Care Ombudsman in four numbers
- Median pay
- $45,930a year, or $22.08/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $34KTop 10% $63K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +7.4%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+7.4%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +7.4% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 48,900463,400 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025463.4K
- Projected 2035497.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 463.4K Projected 2035 497.6K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school10.4%
- Some college16.2%
- Associate's18%
- Bachelor's39.4%
- Master's7.4%
- Post-master’s certificate3.8%
Highest education held by social and human service assistants Segment Value High school 10.4% Some college 16.2% Associate's 18% Bachelor's 39.4% Master's 7.4% Post-master’s certificate 3.8%
Also advertised as: Ombudsman Representative, Regional Ombudsman, Nursing Home Ombudsman, Resident Advocate, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
Pay
How much do Social and Human Service Assistants make?
Every long-term care ombudsman in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$45,930
Middle half earn $38,150 to $54,350
- 10th
- $34,200
- 25th
- $38,150
- 75th
- $54,350
- 90th
- $63,290
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,200 |
| 25th | $38,150 |
| Median | $45,930 |
| 75th | $54,350 |
| 90th | $63,290 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $45,930
- Median hourly wage
- $22.08/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $47,690
- People employed
- 437,860
Versus all US occupations
At $45,930, Social and Human Service Assistants earn 10% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $5,050 a year.
Versus community and social service occupations
Inside the Community and Social Service group, where the middle occupation pays $60,300, this is 24% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $63,290 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,200, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 12% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $59,460, and still leads at $54,103 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Social and Human Service Assistants the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $59,460 | $54,103 | 2,080 |
| 2Washington | $54,770 | $51,181 | 7,590 |
| 3Oregon | $51,230 | $49,564 | 11,260 |
| 4California | $51,090 | $46,143 | 58,730 |
| 5Minnesota | $49,940 | $50,638 | 11,110 |
| 6New Jersey | $48,420 | $44,502 | 17,270 |
| 7Rhode Island | $47,720 | $46,656 | 2,290 |
| 8Maine | $47,710 | $49,160 | 4,580 |
| 9Colorado | $47,690 | $46,278 | 5,410 |
| 10Idaho | $47,540 | $49,783 | 3,810 |
Job outlook
Is Long-Term Care Ombudsman a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +7.4% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social and Human Service Assistants | +7.4% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Social and Human Service Assistants to change 7.4% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 34,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 48,900 openings are projected each year, 10.6% of the 463,400 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Long-Term Care Ombudsman
Paid ombudsman positions usually call for a bachelor's degree in social work, gerontology, human services or a related field, plus experience with older adults. Many programs also rely on trained volunteers, and volunteering is a common way in.
Federal rules require ombudsmen to complete training and be certified by the state ombudsman before acting on behalf of residents. The Administration for Community Living oversees the national program, and the National Ombudsman Resource Center provides training and resources. Programs are based in state units on aging or nonprofit agencies, and experienced ombudsmen can become regional or state program leaders.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as social and human service assistants.
- Bachelor's Degree39.4%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree18%
- Some College Courses16.2%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)10.4%
- Master's Degree7.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 39.4% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 18% |
| Some College Courses | 16.2% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 10.4% |
| Master's Degree | 7.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Long-Term Care Ombudsman do?
Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for people who live in nursing homes, assisted living and similar facilities. Every state runs an ombudsman program under the federal Older Americans Act, and ombudsmen work for the resident, not the facility or the state licensing agency.
They visit facilities regularly, talk with residents, and investigate complaints about issues such as poor care, unanswered call lights, improper discharges, lost belongings, abuse or residents not being allowed to make their own decisions. With the resident's permission they work to resolve problems with staff and administrators, and refer serious cases to regulators or adult protective services. They also educate residents and families about their rights, support resident councils and advocate for policy changes.
Day-to-day tasks
- Visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities regularly
- Investigate complaints from residents and families
- Resolve care and rights problems with facility staff
- Refer abuse and neglect cases to the appropriate agencies
- Educate residents and families on resident rights
- Support resident and family councils
- Train and supervise volunteer ombudsmen
- Document cases and report trends to state officials
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Ombudsmen spend much of their time on the road visiting facilities, with paperwork done in a small office or at home. Hours are mostly weekdays. The work involves difficult situations, including abuse and neglect cases, and requires persistence with facility staff.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Writing3.6
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Service Orientation3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Persuasion3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Negotiation3.0
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Internet browser software
- Voice recognition software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Long-Term Care Ombudsman?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SEC) built on O*NET's Social and Human Service Assistant profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Long-Term Care Ombudsman |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Social6.1
- Conventional4.7
- Enterprising4.2
- Investigative2.8
- Artistic1.9
- Realistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Long-Term Care Ombudsman
O*NET related occupations
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker
$60,280median a year
Most earn $40K to $104K
+10.3%Master's - Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
- Community and Social Service
Mental Health Counselor
$60,320median a year
Most earn $39K to $101K
+10.9%Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
More community and social service careers
Median annual pay, with social and human service assistants highlighted
- Healthcare Social Worker$67,880
- Marriage and Family Therapist$66,940
- Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$66,270
- Health Education Specialist$64,070
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker$60,280
- Community Health Worker$51,850
- Rehabilitation Counselor$46,850
- Social and Human Service Assistant$45,930
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman$45,930
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Social Worker | $67,880 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $66,940 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $66,270 |
| Health Education Specialist | $64,070 |
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker | $60,280 |
| Community Health Worker | $51,850 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $46,850 |
| Social and Human Service Assistant | $45,930 |
| Long-Term Care Ombudsman | $45,930 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Long-Term Care Ombudsman appears on
Questions
Long-Term Care Ombudsman: frequently asked questions
How much do Social and Human Service Assistants make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for social and human service assistants. It counts them within social and human service assistant, whose median pay is $45,930 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $38,150 and $54,350, and the top 10% earn $63,290 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Long-Term Care Ombudsman?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Social and Human Service Assistants. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 39.4% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Long-Term Care Ombudsman a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.4% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 48,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Long-Term Care Ombudsman do?
Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for people who live in nursing homes, assisted living and similar facilities. A typical task: visit nursing homes and assisted living facilities regularly. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Medical software.
Which states pay Social and Human Service Assistants the most?
The highest state medians for Social and Human Service Assistants are District of Columbia ($59,460), Washington ($54,770), Oregon ($51,230) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Long-Term Care Ombudsman?
O*NET scores Social and Human Service Assistants highest on the Social, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.