Victim Advocate job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

8

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Social and Human Service Assistants

O*NET-SOC 21-1093.00

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$45,930

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Social and Human Service Assistants (O*NET-SOC 21-1093.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Victim Advocate” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: the O*NET Occupational Code Assignment and employer job postings). Figures on this page are for that occupation. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions. importance 4.4 of 5
2. Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients. importance 4.1 of 5
3. Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients. importance 4.0 of 5
4. Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures. importance 4.0 of 5
5. Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior. importance 3.9 of 5
6. Interview individuals or family members to compile information on social, educational, criminal, institutional, or drug history. importance 3.8 of 5
7. Provide information or refer individuals to public or private agencies or community services for assistance. importance 3.6 of 5
8. Advise clients regarding food stamps, child care, food, money management, sanitation, or housekeeping. importance 3.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public and Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Oversee day-to-day group activities of residents in institution.
• Assist in locating housing for displaced individuals.
• Consult with supervisor concerning programs for individual families.
• Demonstrate use and care of equipment for tenant use.
• Assist in planning food budgets, using charts or sample budgets.
• Assist clients with preparation of forms, such as tax or rent forms.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, English Language and Administrative.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Office software, MEDITECH software, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

The most common answer among victim advocates surveyed by O*NET is a bachelor's degree (39%).

Job title: Victim Advocate
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Victim Advocate to assist other social and human service providers in providing client services in a wide variety of fields, such as psychology, rehabilitation, or social work, including support for families.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs to determine appropriate interventions.
- Develop and implement behavioral management and care plans for clients.
- Keep records or prepare reports for owner or management concerning visits with clients.
- Visit individuals in homes or attend group meetings to provide information on agency services, requirements, or procedures.
- Submit reports and review reports or problems with superior.
- Interview individuals or family members to compile information on social, educational, criminal, institutional, or drug history.
- Provide information or refer individuals to public or private agencies or community services for assistance.
- Advise clients regarding food stamps, child care, food, money management, sanitation, or housekeeping.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in social perceptiveness, active listening and speaking
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and Psychology
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Office software or MEDITECH software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

For Social and Human Service Assistants, the median annual wage was $45,930 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $22.08. BLS estimates about 437,860 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Social and Human Service Assistants to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 48,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real victim advocate posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Assess clients' cognitive abilities and physical and emotional needs…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only victim advocate work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (social perceptiveness and active listening): a real situation, what you did and what changed.