No salary listed — similar Social Worker roles pay ~$76k (median of 79 jobs)

Lutheran Social Service logo
Lutheran Social Service
Multiple Locations, South Dakota

Social Worker-Family Development Specialist

Social WorkerNo weekendsFull-Time
Posted 2mo ago

About the Role

Full-time social worker role in South Dakota. Monday-Friday, occasional evenings/weekends. $600 sign-on bonus. Help families navigate foster/adoption process.

Join Lutheran Social Service as a Social Worker – Family Development Specialist, M-F in Multiple Locations, South Dakota. Are you passionate about helping children and youth in out-of-home placement connect with family members? If so, this position might be a great fit for you!

Benefits & Compensation

  • $600 hiring bonus
  • Student loan repayment assistance.
  • PTO Time Frontload Up to 24 Hours
  • 8 Paid Holidays
  • 401(k) 3% match
  • Four Wellmark BCBS medical plan options with HSA & FSA options
  • Dental and Vision plans
  • Employer paid life insurance

Work Schedule

  • Full-Time position.
  • No weekends required.

This position offers weekends off, a signing bonus, student loan benefits. Work with Lutheran Social Service in Multiple Locations, South Dakota.

Key Responsibilities

Assist families in navigating the foster and adoptive resource process by completing home study assessments. Partner with families and the Licensing Team to provide resources and support for children in out-of-home placement.

Requirements

Requires a bachelor's degree in social work or a related field and one to two years of related experience. Candidates must be eligible for licensure as a Social Worker or Social Work Associate in South Dakota.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Case ManagementHome Study AssessmentsFoster Care LicensingAdoption ApprovalKinship CareClient Focused CareCritical ThinkingCollaborative PracticeSocial Work LicensureFamily Support

Work-Life Balance Analysis

WeekdayDoc's proprietary algorithm rates Social Worker-Family Development Specialist at Lutheran Social Service a 6.0 out of 10 for work-life balance — classified as good. This places the position in the top 35% of all Social Work social worker listings evaluated on our platform. Contributing factors include no weekend requirements.

This score reflects a generally positive work environment with some areas for improvement. Clinicians should evaluate scheduling and workload expectations carefully.

Social Work — Social Worker Career Context

In South Dakota, Social Work listings on WeekdayDoc pay a median of ~$71k across 11 listings, vs ~$84k nationally (7,408 listings).

Social Work pay on WeekdayDoc is up 1.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

South Dakota's cost-of-living index is 89.0 (US average = 100) — South Dakota ranks #4 of 50 for clinician purchasing power. 58.2% of South Dakota clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Location & Logistics

South Dakota has no state income tax, which can significantly increase take-home pay compared to high-tax states.

Position Insights

AI ANALYSIS

This role scores 6.0/10 on work-life balance for Social Worker roles.

Career trajectory: This position offers advancement within 2-3 years. The compensation analysis shows this employer pays...

Benefits analysis: Compared to 79 similar roles, this listing's benefits package ranks...

Top Social Worker Jobs

42 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution40 jobs · 36 employers

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7
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12
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3
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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks27 jobs

401k / retirement match
85% this job
CME allowance
41%
Sign-on bonus
33% this job
Loan repayment
15% this job
PSLF eligible
15% this job

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Lutheran Social Service logo

About Lutheran Social Service

Individual and Family Services
Sioux Falls, SD
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

$600 hiring bonus
PTO Time Frontload Up to 24 Hours
8 Paid Holidays
401(k) 3% match
Four Wellmark BCBS medical plan options with HSA & FSA options
Dental and Vision plans
Employer paid life insurance
Career development opportunities