In many ways, a career in social work is unlike any other. It’s where the ethics of the greater good meet the science of human behavior. And as heartbreaking as the job can be, it can bring hope and justice to individuals, families, and entire communities. But while passion and empathy may have led you to this calling, there’s always room for a little career planning.
Because just like other careers, becoming a social worker means hunting for jobs, planning your next step, and taking potential salaries into account. If you want to become a social worker in Illinois, this guide can help you make your own plan with all of those factors in mind.
Getting Started: Entry-level Jobs for Social Workers
Entry-level jobs for social workers typically require a bachelor’s degree at minimum. You may be able to get a job with an associate’s degree, but it won’t likely be an actual social worker position. Per state licensing regulations, anyone working under the title of social worker in Illinois must either have a bachelor’s of social work (BSW) or Master’s of Social Work (MSW).
Case Manager, Aide, or Assistant
Sometimes called human or social services assistants, case managers screen new clients, assess their needs, and connect them to services offered by their agency as well as those offered by outside agencies (healthcare assistance, child care, SNAP, etc.). They’re also crucial to helping social workers monitor client progress and coordinating with other professionals.
This is a great entry-level job for social workers because it introduces them to services offered in the area and gives them a ground-level view of what people in their communities struggle with most.
Program Assistant
Anything a social service agency does, whether it’s planning a fundraiser or starting a new support group, requires collaboration. Program assistants help administrators bring it all together.
While specific duties vary between agencies, program assistants often file and maintain paperwork, schedule meetings, manage event calendars, and reach out to clients who might participate in new programs as well as other professionals and agencies who might be involved. They may even help more experienced administrators evaluate a new program’s effectiveness. Being so involved with behind-the-scenes affairs makes the program assistant role a valuable job for social workers who want to get into administration.
Substance Abuse Counselor or Addiction Support Specialist
In Illinois, you can become certified in addiction intervention with a GED, high school diploma, or bachelor’s degree. Colleges that have BSW and MSW programs frequently have programs that prepare students to earn such credentials. These programs can often be completed as you earn your degree in social work.
The Illinois Certification Board, one of the state’s main counselor credentialing agencies, offers certifications like:
- Certified Alcohol and Other Drugs Counselor (CADC).
- Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS).
- Certified Criminal Justice Addiction Professional (CCJP).
- Co-occurring Disorder Professional (CODP).
Keep in mind that acquiring these credentials may also involve completing fieldwork, additional training, and passing an exam. As you help others on the road to recovery, you might get a firsthand look into what kinds of jobs for social workers there are in the larger field of addiction intervention. Just as importantly, you’ll hone skills you’ll likely use your entire career.
Licensed Social Worker
There are two paths to becoming a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in Illinois. The first is earning an MSW. The second is earning a BSW and completing three years of supervised work. These flexible pathways make becoming an LSW an accessible career option for anyone just getting started in the field.
According to the Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), entry-level LSWs can do just about anything their more experienced colleagues do:
“LSWs are authorized to practice social work which includes social services to individuals, groups or communities in any one or more of the fields of social casework, social group work, a community organization for social welfare, social work research, social welfare administration or social work education.”
However, the NASW says LSWs are restricted in some ways. For instance, while LSWs can practice clinical social work, they must do so under the supervision of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). But no matter what social work specialty you want to work in, earning your social work license in Illinois is an important step towards a long career in advocacy.
Finding Your Niche: Advanced Jobs for Social Workers
More often than not, advanced jobs for social workers in Illinois require a Master of Social Work. This is because MSW students have completed specialized courses about advanced intervention techniques and more fieldwork hours than their colleagues with BSWs.
School Social Worker
School social workers support students’ academic, personal, and emotional growth. They help children through behavioral issues, advise faculty about individual and school-wide issues, and can even offer counseling to students and families. And when it comes to unsafe situations (at school and at home), they’re often the first to step in.
This is typically a job for more highly-trained professionals because school social workers in Illinois must earn a Professional Educator License (PEL) with a school social work endorsement. But to get a PEL, you must have a Master’s degree and complete additional training.
However, school social work isn’t the only specialty that needs experienced social workers. From gerontology and healthcare to forensic social work and child welfare, every specialty needs professionals who can guide people through their most vulnerable and dangerous moments.
Director, Supervisor, and Other Administrative Positions
Many administrative jobs for social workers require an in-depth knowledge of both intervention techniques and personnel management. Some social workers transition into administrative roles after years in the field. Others study social service administration as they earn their MSWs.
Some of the most common duties of a social work administrator include:
- Creating and implementing new programs.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of existing programs.
- Directing teams of social workers, behavioral health specialists, and other professionals.
- Managing budgets and applying for grants or state funding.
- Leading and designing outreach initiatives.
- Maintaining compliance with state and federal laws as well as upholding ethical standards.
Titles and exact duties vary between agencies. For instance, a program manager at a government social service agency might focus more on implementing and assessing services while one at a nonprofit agency might concentrate more on applying for grants. Similarly, those in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and other healthcare facilities may need to dedicate more energy to ensuring everyone in the building takes a patient-centered approach.
Policy Analyst or Policy Advocate
Policy analysts are responsible for laying the groundwork for effective programming at social service agencies of all kinds. Most commonly, this role involves conducting research and presenting it to administrators, the community at large, and other stakeholders. But like administration jobs for social workers, policy analyst roles vary between institutions.
For example, a policy analyst at a community-based agency might examine decades of health and crime data to decide what services their area needs most. At a state-focused nonprofit, they might prepare data to present to lawmakers. Some policy advocates take their expertise to other agencies as private consultants. Research-oriented roles can also be found in Illinois’ many schools of social work.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs) are perhaps the most versatile and experienced professionals in Illinois’ social service workforce. In addition to being able to do everything an LSW can do, LCSWs can diagnose and treat specific mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. They go through extensive training and a rigorous licensing process so they can handle the most complex cases an agency handles.
However, LCSWs aren’t always frontline professionals. Their expertise allows them to become informed administrators, program directors, researchers, and policymakers. They can even operate their own independent practices. In short, if a job posting asks for experienced social workers, LCSWs are more than likely the best candidates.
Thinking about earning an MSW? Explore the many jobs and careers for social workers with Master’s degrees.
Social Worker Salaries in Illinois
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average social work salary in Illinois ranges between $54,870 and $65,630 depending on specialty. Nationally, the average sits at $59,440. But social work is a broad category. To help you get a clearer idea of your own salary potential, we’ll take a look at how city, specialty, experience, and job title might affect your income.
Average Social Worker Salary in Illinois by Metropolitan Area
The BLS reports that the average salary for social workers and related occupations is $54,790 in Illinois. Surprisingly, those in the Danville area have the highest average in the state at $55,990. The average social worker salary in Chicago comes in a close second at $55,830.
Area | Annual Average Salary for Community and Social Service Occupations |
United States | $55,760 |
Illinois | $54,790 |
Bloomington, IL | $48,750 |
Carbondale-Marion, IL | $51,780 |
Champaign-Urbana, IL | $52,770 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL | $55,830 |
Danville, IL | $55,990 |
Decatur, IL | $49,300 |
Kankakee, IL | $52,890 |
Peoria, IL | $48,600 |
Rockford, IL | $51,550 |
Springfield, IL | $55,330 |
Table data taken from 2022 BLS reports for community and social service occupations.
Keep in mind that the BLS’s community and social services category includes all types of social service professionals including social workers, counselors, aides, and administrators.
Social Worker Salaries in Illinois By Specialty and Experience
Though there are many types of social workers, the BLS breaks them down into four groups:
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Social Workers
- Child, Family, and School social workers
- Social workers, all other
On average, social work salaries in Illinois are highest for professionals in the all other category at $65,630. However, averages only tell part of the story. In each category, the highest-earning professionals bring home salaries that far exceed state averages.
Unfortunately, the BLS doesn’t track data about the relationship between experience and social work salaries in Illinois. However, salaries for social workers with MSWs and years of experience are typically higher.
But the most well-paid professionals are often those with years of experience and advanced degrees like an MSW.
Social Work Specialty | 10% (Lowest Earning) | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% (Highest Earning) |
Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $37,800 | $45,430 | $57,010 | $74,460 | $92,550 |
Healthcare Social Workers | $35,970 | $46,210 | $60,080 | $73,170 | $79,120 |
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $33,470 | $38,580 | $46,610 | $64,620 | $83,470 |
Social Workers (All Other) | $36,390 | $45,210 | $66,620 | $85,680 | $97,050 |
Table data taken from 2022 BLS reports for Illinois.
Salaries for Jobs Related to Social Work in Illinois
Whether you’re looking for an entry-level job or pivoting into another role later in your career, there’s a good chance you won’t spend your entire career working under the title of social worker. Each title comes with its own salary potential.
Generally speaking, managerial and leadership roles come with higher salary expectations. The same can be said for jobs that require specialized knowledge in fields like healthcare, research, and mental health. Salaries for social service assistants and other jobs that don’t require a social work license are typically lower.
Job Title | 10% (Lowest Earning) | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% (Highest Earning) |
Social and Community Service Managers | $45,720 | $58,140 | $71,990 | $91,880 | $115,400 |
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other | $55,720 | $73,590 | $83,870 | $95,220 | $111,900 |
Social Science Research Assistants | $31,100 | $36,310 | $60,860 | $72,900 | $80,790 |
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors | $37,770 | $46,230 | $52,340 | $69,420 | $96,980 |
Marriage and Family Therapists | $35,670 | $38,830 | $47,060 | $52,260 | $74,880 |
Rehabilitation Counselors | $29,960 | $36,220 | $44,400 | $57,910 | $74,880 |
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | $36,780 | $38,580 | $47,700 | $64,970 | $82,290 |
Counselors, All Other | $34,180 | $39,780 | $46,300 | $51,270 | $65,910 |
Health Education Specialists | $35,900 | $39,360 | $48,720 | $63,930 | $105,050 |
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | $46,940 | $51,780 | $64,100 | $83,120 | $94,410 |
Social and Human Service Assistants | $30,970 | $36,090 | $41,580 | $49,920 | $63,660 |
Community Health Workers | $31,350 | $36,590 | $42,520 | $49,440 | $61,670 |
Community and Social Service Specialists, All Other | $29,080 | $35,980 | $38,360 | $47,410 | $62,230 |
Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary | $39,460 | $47,770 | $57,880 | $77,580 | $84,240 |
Table data taken from 2022 BLS reports for community and social service occupations.
2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures for child, family, and school social workers, healthcare social workers, mental health and substance abuse social workers, social workers (all other), and other social and community service occupations are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2024.