Crisis helpline operator
Also called crisis helpline worker, crisis hotline operator, telephone crisis support
Crisis helpline operators provide advice and support to distraught callers via the telephone. They have to deal with a diverse range of issues such as abuse, depression and financial problems. Helpline operators maintain records of the phone calls according to regulations and privacy policies.
What you'd do
Social work associate professionals · ILO- Collecting information relevant to clients‚Äô needs and assessing their relevant skills, strengths and deficits
- Helping persons with disabilities or the elderly to obtain services and to improve their ability to function in society
- Assisting clients to identify options and develop plans of action while providing necessary support and assistance
- Assisting clients to identify and access community resources including legal, medical and financial assistance, housing, employment, transportation, assistance with moves, day care and other referral services
- Counselling clients living in group homes and half-way houses, supervising their activities and assisting in pre-release and release planning
- Participating in the selection and admission of clients to appropriate programmes
- Providing crisis intervention and emergency shelter services
- Implementing life skills workshops, substance abuse treatment programmes, behaviour management programmes, youth services programmes and other community and social service programmes under the supervision of social work or health care professionals
- Assisting in evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and programmes by monitoring and reporting on clients' progress
- Maintaining contact with other social service agencies, schools and health care providers involved with clients to provide information and obtain feedback on clients' overall situation and progress
- Indoors
- Sitting most of the day
- Constant contact with people, including the public
- Good freedom to decide
- Often more than 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Very repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospectsMany jobs will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
About averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,400 a month (Bulgaria) to €6,600 (Luxembourg), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among technicians and associate professionals in the EU, women earn 16% less per hour than men. Technicians and associate professionals · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Usually post-secondary or a short degreePost-secondary training or a short degree in work skills is the usual route.
1,314 institutions in the EU offer business and law bachelor's degrees. Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
LittleAI could take on part of some tasks, but none fully.
Average task score 0.33 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 10 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for social work associate professionals. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).