Careers Profiles

Community Worker

Community workers aim to empower communities by helping local residents develop the skills they need to influence and improve their quality of life. A community worker will work with individuals, families or whole communities.

Voluntary organisations deal with every area of society. Many will be registered charities; others will be non-profit-making bodies that plough any surpluses into their community.

The workforce is divided into two groups – volunteers and paid employees. A large majority of voluntary organisations rely on volunteers, but the proportion of paid staff is increasing as the voluntary sector takes on a growing role in providing public services.

Community workers’ roles can include identifying communities’ needs, finding out what help is available from government bodies, putting together funding applications, and raising awareness. They will deal with a wide range of groups and organisations as well as members of the public, and arrange and attend meetings to get things done in their community.

The skills and experience you need

There is no set career path and you may need to be creative to find opportunities that suit you. If you do not have a degree or higher qualification, you are most likely to find opportunities within your local community.

Volunteering is a good way of developing the right skills and demonstrating your commitment to prospective employers. Becoming an active member of a charity in which you wish to get involved can help you understand it better.

Most voluntary and community organisations do not actively recruit graduates, but will advertise posts that require a degree. For those coming in at a lower level there are often good opportunities to progress through internal training and promotion.

The skills needed for work in the voluntary sector include being able to deal with people at all levels, communicate effectively, and manage projects. At a more senior level it is important to be able to think strategically.

Likely types of employer

  • Large national charities such as Cancer Research UK, Oxfam or the British Red Cross
  • Smaller charities which help their local community
  • Sports and recreation groups
  • Other non-profit organisations, including social enterprises
  • Voluntary sector staff also frequently transfer to or from public sector organisations such as local authorities

Salary ranges

Starting salaries for community work in general range from £15,000 to £19,000. In the voluntary sector salaries can vary considerably, depending on your experience and the organisation you work for. A rough guide for junior or trainee positions is £12,300 and £14,800 for administration officers. This can rise to around £28,000 for department managers and £49,000 for directors.

More information