For the high stress, there's little compensation. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree and their own car. The salary here is particularly low. But it's not high anywhere. Allegheny County doesn't pay more for the higher degree.
Many caseworkers suffer for their dedication.
One worried so much about the children on his caseload here that he'd be sick at his stomach several mornings a week before work. His boss advised him to leave for his own health. And that's what happens. Many of the most dedicated quickly quit. A third of Allegheny County's 233 caseworkers resigned last year.