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Earning an Associate of Science (AS) in Human Services would qualify you to work in positions such as a case management aide, social work assistant, mental health aide, community outreach worker, a life skills counselor, or a gerontology aide. Basically, these positions work to support social workers, health care providers, or other professionals to provide services to those in need.

With an aging population, the U.S. is likely to see a growing demand for services in this field. Add to that the push to include more people in health care programs, and there is a substantial potential for job creation. Also, the one-on-one nature of much of this type of work means it is a highly-localized type of employment--most communities in the U.S. need human services workers, and this type of work cannot usually be outsourced.

The downside, though, is that for the type of positions you are likely to get with an AS in Human Services, the pay is usually somewhat below the national average. This may not bother you if you are more interested in job security than compensation level. Or, you could look at your associate's degree as a stepping stone. With it, you can get started in human services while working part-time or online toward a bachelor's or master's degree, which should qualify you for higher-level, and more lucrative, jobs in the field.