Named after the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, Illinois, spreads across both sides of the Fox River. Though it’s technically in the Chicago metropolitan area, Aurora is a city all its own. In fact, it’s home to three school districts, dozens of healthcare providers, and a vibrant social work community that serves every segment of the Aurora population.
But while social workers of all kinds can find social work jobs in Aurora, IL, the city’s residents, government agencies, and private organizations alike are constantly finding new ways to uplift their neighbors. This makes Aurora’s social service network one of the most unique in the state. To help you start your own career in Illinois’ City of Lights, we’ll discuss social work jobs in Aurora, potential employers, and salary potential.
Social Work Jobs in Aurora, IL
Like other cities in the state, Aurora offers social services through the local Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) office. This government agency helps residents with everything from healthcare access to child welfare.
However, the Aurora City Government also has its own Community Services Department. They have divisions dedicated to local nonprofit development, neighborhood engagement, and senior, youth, and disability services. Together, the Community Services Department and the DHS create social work jobs in Aurora, IL.
But those two agencies aren’t the only game in town. Here are a few roles social workers in the area can fill at an impressively diverse range of agencies.
Police Social Worker/ Crisis Intervention Specialist
Communities across the nation have toyed with integrating social services and law enforcement. Aurora has turned this idea into real-world action.
The Aurora Police Department’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is made up of police officers, forensic social workers, Masters Social Work interns, and other professionals who connect people with mental health resources instead of arresting them when possible. The CIT is a joint effort of Aurora PD, Aurora University (home to one of the state’s most dynamic social work programs), and the Family Service Association of the Greater Elgin Area.
Crisis intervention social work jobs in Aurora, IL, aren’t limited to law enforcement agencies, though. Aurora PD also collaborates with the local government and private social service providers, as well. This includes behavioral health providers, addiction recovery clinics, and organizations who serve at-risk youth.
School Social Worker
School social work is one of the field’s most popular and prevalent specialities. In a K-12 school, social workers help administrators craft effective policies, connect students and families to local resources, and even offer in-class aid.
This is true for school social workers in Aurora, as well, but the city is made up of three public school districts. This gives professionals a level of career flexibility most communities can’t offer.
Another reason school social work jobs in Aurora, IL, are attractive to locals and transplants alike is the city’s investment in education. The Pathways to Prosperity initiative is a perfect illustration.
This public/private partnership gives local high school students the training, resources, and support they need to flourish in the workforce — great news for the local economy, students, and the passionate professionals who support them.
Community Health Social Worker
Community health social workers work for clinics that offer accessible healthcare services to often underserved areas. They’re often in charge of patient education, outreach campaigns, and policymaking. Aurora is home to many job opportunities for social workers in this patient-focused sector of healthcare.
For instance, the Community Health Partnership (CHP) of Illinois has a facility in Aurora. They offer a wide array of low- and no-cost physical and mental health services. CHP, and similar healthcare providers, could be a great source of social work jobs in Aurora, IL.
Medical Social Worker
While social workers are integral to community healthcare clinics, they’re also important to larger healthcare communities, as well. Medical social workers keep the intimidating world of American healthcare focused on patients and their families.
At the entry-level, medical social workers often connect patients to financial aid programs and support groups. More advanced professionals are in charge of intake and discharge planning, counseling programs for patients facing grave diagnoses, and entire teams of medical professionals.
Advocate Health, one of the city’s largest healthcare systems, employs about 155,000 people itself. Their network serves over 6 million people across multiple counties — and they’re only one of the region’s healthcare providers. In such a large network, medical social workers have plenty of room for career development.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
LCSWs are the leaders of Illinois’ social service workforce. Their advanced training prepares them to serve clients with complex needs, conduct groundbreaking research, and help their organizations develop new programs.
LCSWs can find jobs just about anywhere in Illinois, but given Aurora’s massive social service network, its investments in equity, and its ongoing initiatives that bridge the gap between private resources and public wellbeing, the city may make a great place to further your career. Whether you want to join one of the previously listed sectors or open your own practice, there’s a place for compassionate, experienced LCSWs in Aurora.
Social Work Salaries in Aurora
While the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t track salary data for Aurora specifically, their data about the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan area provides a glimpse into social work salaries in Aurora.
According to the BLS, the average salary for social workers in the area ranges between $56,690 and $64,890 depending on specialty. The average salary for social workers across the nation is only $55,350. But social workers around Aurora don’t just have higher salaries than their colleagues in other communities. They also have many opportunities to increase their earnings.
For instance, the BLS reports that the top 10% of child, family, and school social workers in the metro area bring home upwards of $90,000. That’s more than $40,000 higher than the median. The highest-earning professionals typically have at least a Master of Social Work (MSW) and years of experience. Many are also LCSWs.
To help you plan your next social work career move in and around Aurora, IL, the following table includes BLS salary data about different types of social workers in the area. Your own salary potential may differ based on education, employer, and other factors.
Social Work Specialty | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% |
Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $38,350 | $46,410 | $56,940 | $76,690 | $99,090 |
Healthcare Social Workers | $43,280 | $48,030 | $62,260 | $75,580 | $81,230 |
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers | $33,970 | $43,420 | $48,470 | $65,530 | $86,970 |
Social Workers (All Other) | $36,680 | $45,200 | $61,630 | $85,860 | $97,050 |
Table data taken from 2022 BLS reports for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metropolitan area.
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, and social workers (all other) are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2024.