1,500+ Social Services & Counseling Jobs in Chicago, IL

Observed local pay varies by sub-role. In May 2025, the broader community and social service occupational group in Chicago averaged $30.49 per hour, while social and community service managers had a $84,340 median annual wage and a $40.55 average hourly wage; older metro data shows child, family, and school social workers at a $66,670 median annual wage in May 2023. Current posted pay is directional rather than official wage data: Chicago-area postings center on about $64k to $80k for salaried roles and about $31 to $44 / hour for hourly roles, while Revelio Public Labor Statistics shows Illinois openings averaging about $67,206 in July 2026 based on n=1,069.

Full July 2026 market report

Advertised pay

Across the 1,234 openings that disclose pay, the advertised range midpoint runs $66,795 at the 25th percentile, $85,000 at the median and $96,720 at the 75th. These are advertised ranges, not earned pay.

Active openings as of September 10, 2026

Senior roles | Entry level | Remote | Posted this week

Live from the Callings.ai index of over 13 million postings, refreshed hourly and re-checked here nightly. Roles that close are dropped at the next refresh.

Showing 30 of 250+ openings.

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What our analysts see this month

Balanced market | next 3-6 months

This is a workable but selective market. Chicago-area employers posted more than 500 openings across more than 200 companies over the last 90 days, and the city also expanded crisis-response and mental-health capacity in 2026. But fresh openings look tighter than underlying need: Revelio Public Labor Statistics shows Illinois social-services employment up 1.8% year over year while active postings were down 7.8% year over year in July 2026, and Chicago metro unemployment reached 5.3% in June 2026.

Best positioned: Candidates with LSW or LCSW credentials, strong case management and crisis intervention skills, and experience that fits healthcare, hospital, addiction, or school-linked settings have the best odds right now.

Main caution: Do not confuse broad social need with easy hiring; most openings are on-site and mid-career, not remote entry-level roles.

From the July 2026 market report

Who is hiring here

Counted across all 1,645 openings in this market. 10 of the employers below are hiring for more than one role right now.

1. Enhance Rehab: 101 open roles
2. Athletico: 37 open roles
3. BoldAge PACE: 34 open roles
4. Northwestern Memorial Hospital: 33 open roles
5. Action Behavior Centers: 29 open roles
6. Resurrection Medical Center: 29 open roles
7. Advocate Health Care: 28 open roles
8. InHome Therapy: 28 open roles
9. Endeavor Health: 27 open roles
10. Preferra Insurance: 27 open roles

Where the openings are

• Chicago: 380
• Naperville: 79
• Aurora: 56
• Evanston: 43
• Elgin: 39
• Maywood: 38
• Arlington Heights: 37
• Joliet: 36

Work arrangement

on-site 1,415 (88%), hybrid 106 (7%), remote 78 (5%)

Where the demand is

Real opportunity is concentrated far more in healthcare-linked settings than in stand-alone nonprofits. In the recent posting sample, about 45% of roles came from healthcare and another about 20% from hospitals and health care, versus about 15% from education and only about 5% each from social services and nonprofit organizations. The most consistently active employers included Northwestern Medicine group, American Addiction Centers, Inc., Chicago Public Schools, Advocate Health Care, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. That mix changes the day-to-day work. Hospital and health-system roles lean toward case management, discharge planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and documentation, which are all among the most-requested skills in the metro sample. School-linked demand is meaningful too, with Chicago Public Schools among the most active employers and Illinois preparing annual student mental-health screenings for grades 3 through 12 beginning in the 2027-28 school year. Public child-welfare work remains a distinct lane as well; Illinois salary records show current role families such as child welfare specialist, child protection specialist, and social service aide. Community and faith-based agencies are still hiring—Christian Social Service of Illinois posted multiple Chicago-area roles in late July 2026—but this is the part of the market most exposed to funding pressure, with 57% of nonprofit CEOs reporting foundation funding has become harder to obtain since January 2025. Employer concentration is low, which helps job seekers because the market is not dependent on one giant buyer.

• Hospital and health-system case management (high): Healthcare and hospitals account for about 65% combined of local postings, and leading employers include Northwestern Medicine group, Advocate Health Care, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
• School-linked support and student services (moderate): Education represents about 15% of postings, Chicago Public Schools is among the most active employers, and Illinois is moving toward annual student mental-health screenings beginning in the 2027-28 school year.
• Addiction and behavioral health (high): American Addiction Centers, Inc. had more than 20 postings in the recent sample, and the Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center maintained a statewide behavioral-health jobs board in August 2026.
• Public child welfare and family services (moderate): Illinois salary records show recent state role families including child welfare specialist, child protection specialist, and social service aide, pointing to a durable public-sector lane even when private hiring fluctuates.
• Community and nonprofit agencies (moderate): Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and Christian Social Service of Illinois show active hiring, but the broader nonprofit funding climate is tighter in 2026.

Where to focus: Focus first on on-site healthcare and hospital-linked case-management roles, then add school and addiction-service employers as your second lane.

Roles worth searching next

• Direct Support Professional: This is a practical bridge role because Christian Social Service of Illinois listed it alongside Chicago-area case-management and supervisory openings, signaling overlap in direct-service environments.
• Universal Service Worker: Christian Social Service of Illinois also listed Universal Service Worker roles, which makes it a realistic neighboring path for candidates who need a faster entry point into human-services employers.
• Patient Navigator or Care Coordinator: Chicago demand is heavily concentrated in healthcare and hospital settings, and the skill mix emphasizes patient advocacy, discharge planning, documentation, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Behavioral Health Technician: A statewide behavioral-health jobs board remained active in August 2026, and Chicago's crisis-response expansion supports nearby demand for behavioral-health support talent.

What postings ask for

• LSW or LCSW licensure (premium | immediate): LSW and LCSW are among the most commonly named credentials in local postings, and Illinois tightened the alternative LCSW pathway on January 1, 2026 by requiring an LSW or a PEL with school social work endorsements for supervised experience hours to count. Who: Mid-career social workers, school-track candidates, and anyone aiming for higher-paying or supervisory tracks.
• Case management (table_stakes | immediate): Case management is the most-requested hard skill in the local sample at about 45%, and it also aligns with national demand signals for the field. Who: Everyone in the category, especially entry-level and hospital-targeting candidates.
• Crisis intervention (premium | immediate): Crisis intervention appears in about 30% of local postings, and Chicago's CARE expansion makes it especially relevant in the metro right now. Who: Candidates targeting community response, residential care, schools, addiction services, or emergency-department support.
• Documentation and clinical documentation (table_stakes | immediate): Documentation appears in about 20% of local postings and clinical documentation in about 10%, making it one of the clearest screening filters for real-world readiness. Who: Entry-level candidates, career switchers, and anyone moving into healthcare-linked roles.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration and discharge planning (differentiator | near-term): Interdisciplinary collaboration and discharge planning each appear in about 15% of local postings, which matches the healthcare-heavy employer mix in Chicago. Who: Mid-career professionals targeting hospitals, medical centers, or complex care settings.
• Telehealth competency and HIPAA compliance (differentiator | near-term): Telehealth competency and HIPAA compliance are emerging essentials in social work, even though only about 5% of local postings are remote and another about 5% are hybrid. Who: Candidates pursuing counseling-adjacent, follow-up, or multi-site support work.

Questions about this market

What do Social Services, Counseling & Community roles pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Observed local pay varies by sub-role. In May 2025, the broader community and social service occupational group in Chicago averaged $30.49 per hour, while social and community service managers had a $84,340 median annual wage and a $40.55 average hourly wage; older metro data shows child, family, and school social workers at a $66,670 median annual wage in May 2023. Current posted pay is directional rather than official wage data: Chicago-area postings center on about $64k to $80k for salaried roles and about $31 to $44 / hour for hourly roles, while Revelio Public Labor Statistics shows Illinois openings averaging about $67,206 in July 2026 based on n=1,069. Pay is respectable for the field, but Chicago's cost-of-living index sits at 120.3 points, so mid-$60k to low-$70k compensation does not stretch as far here as it would in a cheaper metro.

Where is demand for Social Services, Counseling & Community roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN concentrated?

Real opportunity is concentrated far more in healthcare-linked settings than in stand-alone nonprofits. In the recent posting sample, about 45% of roles came from healthcare and another about 20% from hospitals and health care, versus about 15% from education and only about 5% each from social services and nonprofit organizations. The most consistently active employers included Northwestern Medicine group, American Addiction Centers, Inc., Chicago Public Schools, Advocate Health Care, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. That mix changes the day-to-day work. Hospital and health-system roles lean toward case management, discharge planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and documentation, which are all among the most-requested skills in the metro sample. School-linked demand is meaningful too, with Chicago Public Schools among the most active employers and Illinois preparing annual student mental-health screenings for grades 3 through 12 beginning in the 2027-28 school year. Public child-welfare work remains a distinct lane as well; Illinois salary records show current role families such as child welfare specialist, child protection specialist, and social service aide. Community and faith-based agencies are still hiring—Christian Social Service of Illinois posted multiple Chicago-area roles in late July 2026—but this is the part of the market most exposed to funding pressure, with 57% of nonprofit CEOs reporting foundation funding has become harder to obtain since January 2025. Employer concentration is low, which helps job seekers because the market is not dependent on one giant buyer.

Which employers are hiring the most Social Services, Counseling & Community talent in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Recent postings show the most activity from Northwestern Medicine group (20 postings), American Addiction Centers, Inc. (20 postings), Chicago Public Schools (20 postings), Advocate Health Care (15 postings), Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (10 postings). See the full market report for the complete employer landscape.

Can Social Services, Counseling & Community roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN be done remotely?

Of recent postings, 5% are remote and 5% hybrid, with 85% on-site. Use the Remote filter above to see only remote openings.

How current are these listings?

Openings come from the Callings.ai live index of over 13 million jobs, refreshed hourly. This page searches postings from the last 30 days; run the search yourself to filter by anything else in plain language.

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