Social Workers on State Payroll

In 2008, social workers in all of Illinois made 17% less, on average, than social workers employed by the State of Illinois.

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson

Using our transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org, I found that in 2008, there were a total of 208 social workers on employed by the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Department of Human Services. The DHS employed most of the state’s social workers with 194 on their payroll. State social workers received average annual wages of $64,630, with all the departments spending a total of $13,443,115 on their wages. The table below breaks down the wage averages and totals by department.

While these state employees’ position was listed simply as “social worker,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics differentiates its wage data by type of social worker. The table below features the 2008 BLS average annual wages estimates for various categories of social workers in all of Illinois as well as how much lower that average is than the average for state social workers ($64,630.36).

To find this information on the IllinoisOpenGov site, go to “Payroll” and search for “social worker” in the “Position” field.