In 2014, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued a grant to the Illinois Department of Public Health that contributed to the state’s ongoing Health Brain Initiative.
This health initiative strives to bring greater awareness to state residents struggling with increased confusion or memory loss (ICML) by:
- Furthering the spread of information regarding ICML in Illinois
- Addressing the competency of state and local organizations to tackle ICML issues and care-giver needs thereof
- Working with the Illinois Alzheimer’s Disease State Plan to establish program priorities and recommendations
The Health Brain Initiative is just one example of public health workers in action throughout Illinois. Since public health integrates a wide-range of issues such as environmental health protection, health care regulation, and disease prevention, professionals from diverse occupational backgrounds are needed to nurture the complex health needs of the state’s residents.
Other examples of current and upcoming community health efforts made possible by the collaboration of public health professionals in Illinois include:
- Illinois State Zero Suicide Workshop
- Illinois Cap the Copay Coalition Webinar
- Illinois Immunization and Communicable Disease Conference
- Illinois Food Safety Symposium
- Annual Illinois HIV/STD Conference
- Integrated Public Health and Healthcare System Preparedness Summit
Salaries Offered by the Illinois Department of Public Health
The State of Illinois is serious about the public health of its residents, and therefore is continually scouting for highly skilled professionals to join the many agencies that help to promote public health in the state. As of 2015, the most common specializations within the Illinois Department of Public Health included:
- Chemist I-II
- Clinical Laboratory Associate
- Clinical Laboratory Technician I-II
- Clinical Laboratory Technologist I-II
- Environmental Health Specialist I-III
- Health Facilities Surveillance Nurse
- Health Facilities Surveyor I-III
- Public Health Educator Associate
- Public Health Educator
- Public Health Program Specialist I-II
The following salary figures were drawn from recent job postings listed through the Illinois Department of Public Health. Higher-end salaries are often awarded to candidates that display a solid history of field experience and education. As a result, those holding Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees often improve their earning potential:
- Clinical Laboratory Technician I: $3,250-$4,594/mo.
- Licensed Practical Nurse I: $3,063-$4,316/mo.
- Licensed Practical Nurse II: $3,505-$4,720/mo.
- Psychologist I: $4,338-$6,500/mo.
- Public Aid Eligibility Assistant: $2,935-$4,065/mo.
- Public Aid Quality Control Reviewer: $4,159-$6,218/mo.
- Public Service Administrator: $3,116-$9,765/mo.
- Registered Nurse I: $4,527-$6,141/mo.
- Registered Nurse II: $5,293-$7,197/mo.
- Senior Public Service Administrator: $4,295-$12,128/mo.
Average Salaries by Public Health Specialization
Many occupations tied to public health will continue to experience growth in the coming years. Here are salary ranges for several public health occupations in Illinois as provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health (2014):
- Health and Medical Services Managers: $65,210-$122,712/yr.
- Social and Community Service Managers: $37,714-$69,681/yr.
- Statisticians: $51,410-$85,503/yr.
- Health and Safety Engineers: $42,219-$89,521/yr.
- Epidemiologists: $52,472-$83,039/yr.
- Microbiologists: $53,021-$102,272/yr.
- Social Scientists and Related Workers: $54,892-$88,264/yr.
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists: $50,666-$94,100/yr.
- Social Scientists and Related Workers: $54,982-$88,264/yr.
- Social Science Research Assistants: $24,758-$66,797/yr.
- Biochemists and Biophysicists: $48,290-$86,108/yr.
- Community Health Workers: $23,871-$44,091/yr.
- Health Educators: $32,467-$62,479/yr.
- Healthcare Social Workers: $30,626-$58,315/yr.
- Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors: $26,329-$43,025/yr.
- Rehabilitation Counselors: $20,154-$42,036/yr.
- Miscellaneous Community and Social Service Specialists: $23,545-$44,688/yr.
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: $50,353-$85,951/yr.
A Full Analysis of Salaries for Public Health Professionals in Illinois
For a more detailed breakdown of public health salaries and wages in Illinois, refer to the following data provided by the United States Department of Labor in 2014:
