Social Service Worker I/II

Position Information

Salary

Level I: $2,054.14-$2,454.89 bi-weekly

Level II: $2,159.18-$2,580.42 bi-weekly

Examination Schedule

Written Exam: will be conducted on Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Examination

Written Exam (Weight %): Will be conducted for the purpose of assessing the applicant's knowledge of s ocioeconomic conditions and trends; basic principles of individual and group behavior; principles of interviewing and problem solving; effective public speaking and public relations methods; cultural diversity .

The Human Resources Division may solely conduct an appraisal of application materials should there be an insufficient number of candidates to warrant a written examination.

Applicants must attain at least a 70% score on each phase of the examination process.

Minimum Qualifications/Employment Standards

Level I

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in any field which includes a minimum of 12 semester or 20 quarter units in behavioral science, OR a Bachelor's degree and six months experience equivalent to a Human Services Technician I, Job Developer I, Eligibility Worker, or Program Specialist I in the Kern County classification system.

Level II

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in any field which includes a minimum of 12 semester or 20 quarter units in a behavioral science, AND six (6) months of experience as a Social Service Worker in the Kern County classification system.

OR

Bachelor's degree AND six (6) months experience equivalent to a Human Services Technician I, Program Specialist I, Job Developer I, or Eligibility Worker, in the Kern County classification system and six (6) months of experience as a Social Service Worker in the Kern County classification system.

OR

Bachelor's degree and successful completion of 24 semester or 40 quarter units of a Master's degree in Social Work or a Counseling program, from an accredited college or university, emphasizing Marriage, Family and Child Counseling or Marriage and Family Therapy, Gerontology or Clinical Psychology.

Possession of a valid California Driver's License is required.

Incumbents must have the ability to travel to designated locations.

Please ensure applicable materials such as transcripts and diplomas are attached to your application. If you are unable to attach application materials to your application, you may deliver a copy to the Human Resources Division at 1115 Truxtun Ave. First Floor, Bakersfield, CA 93301 or email Jasmine Perez at ***email_hidden***.

Full Job Description: Social Service Worker I , Social Service Worker II

About Kern County

Kern County employees provide opportunities that are purposeful to our community. Every employee and every action contributes to the improvement and strengthening of our county.

Growth Mindset

We always encourage our employees to grow and develop. Kern County has a culture of innovation that allows employees to explore creative and more efficient ways to accomplish their work. We provide access to training and continued professional development in an effort to ensure that our employees have opportunities for career growth.

Additional Information

Admittance to the examination will require a valid government issued photograph identification. Applicants who are unable to present proper identification must make arrangements with the Human Resources Division prior to the test date.

A background check may be conducted for this classification.

Following an offer of employment, you may be required to submit to post offer medical and drug screening tests at County expense.

This examination will establish an eligible list from which immediate appointment(s) will be made at the Department of Human Services. Other permanent and temporary appointments will be made as needed. Successful candidates will remain on the eligible list for a period of twelve months, unless specified otherwise by the Civil Service Commission. Candidates are encouraged to indicate acceptable geographical locations in which they would accept employment on their application form. Candidates MUST be willing to travel to these locations (areas/district offices).

For more information regarding Kern County's recruitment process, please see our FAQ page .

Kern County is an ADA compliant and an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply.