Community Health Worker Jobs in Chicago, IL: Pay and Who's Hiring

In Chicago, the May 2025 median for community health workers is about $49.8K, 4% under the U.S. median. The middle half runs from $46.0K to $59.9K.

Pay

The median is the middle of community health workers already employed, not a starting wage. The 25th is the lower quarter of that group. The 75th is what the upper quarter already earns.

Percentile	Metro	IL	U.S.
25th	$46,000	$44,620	$45,640
Median	$49,750	$49,240	$51,850
75th	$59,930	$58,800	$62,540

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

Hiring difficulty and demand

Hiring difficulty

5.4

Metro employment

1,430

National growth, 2025 to 2035

Unpublished

National openings a year

Unpublished

This is the same score as the free check.

Who's hiring

Access Community Health Network, 59 campuses
Greater Elgin Family Care Center, 41 campuses
Greater Family Health, 34 campuses
219 Health Network, 27 campuses
Northshore Health Centers, 20 campuses
the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, 18 campuses

Campuses on file in the provider extract, not live job ads.

License and training

There is no national license. Many states run a certification for community health workers, often voluntary and often tied to Medicaid payment. Confirm what your state and your payer require before you post the role.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, community health workers

The work

A day can be home visits, phone follow-ups, and a stack of forms for food, housing, or coverage. You track who missed a visit and find out why.

You are a messenger in both directions. You explain the plan to the patient, and you tell the care team what is getting in the way.

Nearby metros

South Bend, IN · 74 miles
Rockford, IL · 77 miles
Milwaukee, WI · 86 miles
Lafayette, IN · 108 miles

Related roles

One manager hiring: Hire a Community Health Worker in Chicago.

Community Health Workers hiring pages

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Questions

Who hires community health workers in Chicago?

Community health centers, health departments, and hospitals hire community health workers in Chicago. Organizations on file in the provider extract include Access Community Health Network, Greater Elgin Family Care Center, Greater Family Health.

Do I need a certificate to work as a CHW in Illinois?

It depends on the program. Check the Illinois certification rules and the payer behind the job in Chicago.

What should a health center in Chicago weigh when hiring a CHW?

Ask about the language, the neighborhood, and the caseload. Chicago has roughly a fifth fewer of these workers than a typical metro. This metro is within 3 percent of the Illinois median.