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Community development worker: Salary and conditions

• Range of typical starting salaries: £15,000 - 20,000 (salary data collected Oct 08).
• Range of salaries with two or more years' experience: £20,000 - 30,000 (salary data collected Oct 08).
• For public sector posts, there are national pay scales and sometimes an unsocial hours allowance.
• In the voluntary sector, variations are considerable, and pay often depends on experience and location.
• Each working day will vary depending on scheduled activities for that week. Workers need to be accessible to the communities they serve. This means the work will often include unsocial hours, such as evenings and weekends, so considerable flexibility is required.
• The work is usually either urban or rural based, and conditions vary considerably according to the nature and location of the project and funding. Large towns and inner city areas with recognised social deprivation are more likely to receive sustained funding. However, the number of rural community development workers is steadily increasing as recognition of social issues affecting rural communities grows.
• Self-employment/freelance work is sometimes possible working as a trainer or consultant.
• Part-time and temporary work and career breaks are possible. Short-term contracts are common, due to the nature of funding in the sector.
• Coping with social disadvantage and disaffected members of the community can be stressful.
• There is frequent personal contact as well as contact with other agencies and group contact in the community. Therefore, travel within a working day is to be expected. Absence from home at night is occasional. There may be opportunities for occasional overseas travel as links and exchanges abroad are developed.

AGCAS

Written by Paul Gaunt, Liverpool Hope University

Last updated:

December 2008

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