READINGS
in Independent Living

Salaries and Work Experience of
Centers for Independent Living Directors:
National Survey Results

2003
by IL NET
Table 1.
Completed Survey Formats

Telephone

Electronic (Internet site with survey questions)

Paper/pencil through surface mail or fax

Computer disk

15 (6%)

175 (69%)

64 (25%)

1 (less than 1%)

 

Table 2.
Regional Responses to Survey

RSA Region

Number of CIL Executive Directors

Number Who Responded

Response Rate

I. New England

20

12

60%

II. Upper Mid Atlantic

52

27

52%

III. Mid Atlantic

43

29

67%

IV. Southeast

45

27

60%

V. Upper Midwest

73

49

67%

VI. South/ Southwest

33

23

70%

VII. Central Midwest

43

30

70%

VIII. Mountain/ Plains

32

19

59%

IX. West and Pacific Rim

40

26

65%

X. Northwest

22

13

59%

TOTAL

406

255

63%

 

Table 3.
CIL Respondents Primary Service Areas by RSA Region.

RSA Region

Rural

Urban

Suburban

I. New England

4

6

2

II. Upper Mid Atlantic

9

7

11

III. Mid Atlantic

11

9

9

IV. Southeast

14

12

1

V. Upper Midwest

24

15

10

VI. South/Southwest

12

9

2

VII. Central Midwest

20

8

2

VIII. Mountain/ Plains

9

9

1

IX. West and Pacific Rim

8

12

6

X. Northwest

8

4

1

TOTAL

119

91

45

 

Table 4.
Education Profile of CIL Executive Directors

Male

Female

Education Background
(Highest level attained)

With Disability

Without Disability

With Disability

Without Disability

High School

1

 

3

2

Some College

11

 

17

3

Associate Degree

5

1

8

2

Bachelor’s Degree

25

11

36

12

Master’s Degree

37

13

41

11

Doctorate Degree

5

1

4

4

Other4

 

 

2

 

TOTAL

84

26

111

30

 

Table 5.
Summary of Respondent's Experience
in Independent Living and as an Executive Director

Independent Living Experience

Executive Director Experience

Years of Experience

Number of Respondents

Years of Experience

Number of Respondents

Less than one year

11 (4%)

Less than one year

28 (11%)

2-5 years

56 (22%)

1-3 years

86 (34%)

6-10 years

65 (25%)

4-5 years

30 (12%)

11-15 years

56 (22%)

6-10 years

51 (20%)

16-20 years

40 (16%)

11-15 years

41 (16%)

Over 20 years

27 (11%)

Over 15 years

19 (7%)

 

Table 6.
Summary of Salary Ranges and Perceptions of

Salary Range: National Data

Perceived Salary Parity

Annual Salary Range

Number of CILs Reporting

Don’t Know

A Lot Lower

A Little Lower

About the Same

A Little Higher

A Lot Higher

Less than $26,000

6

3

3
 
 
 
 

$26,000-$30,000

15

7

6

2
 
 
 

$31,000-$35,000

27

13

7

7
 
 
 

$36,000-$40,000

34

14

8

8

4
 
 

$41,000-$45,000

44

8

8

18

9

1
 

$46,000-$50,000

40

12

8

13

6

1
 

$51,000-$55,000

40

14

6

12

7

1
 

$56,000-$60,000

19

10

1

6

2
 
 

$61,000-$65,000

9

3
 

3

2

1
 

Over $65,000

21

2

7
 

10
 

2

Total

86(34%)

47 (18%)

76 (30%)

40(16%)

4 (2%)

2 (1%)

 

Table 7.
Summary of Salary Ranges by Gender.

Gender of Executive Director

Annual Salary Range

Male

Female

Less than $26,000

3

3

$26,000-$30,000

4

11

$31,000-$35,000

9

18

$36,000-$40,000

14

19

$41,000-$45,000

19

25

$46,000-$50,000

18

22

$51,000-$55,000

16

24

$56,000-$60,000

6

13

$61,000-$65,000

5

4

Over $65,000

16

5

TOTAL

110

144

 

Table 8.
Summary of Salary Ranges by Disability Status.

Disability Status

Annual Salary Range

Person With a Disability

Person Without a Disability

Less than $26,000

5(2%)7

1(2%)8

$26,000-$30,000

13 (7%)

2 (4%)

$31,000-$35,000

22 (11%)

5(8%)

$36,000-$40,000

28 (14%)

4 (7%)

$41,000-$45,000

31 (16%)

13 (23%)

$46,000-$50,000

33 (17%)

7 (13%)

$51,000-$55,000

32 (16%)

8 (14%)

$56,000-$60,000

12 (6%)

7 (13%)

$61,000-$65,000

6 (4%)

3 (5%)

Over $65,000

14 (7%)

6 (11%)

TOTAL

196

56

 

Table 9.
Summary of Annual Salary Ranges by Education Background.

Annual Salary Range

High School

Some College

Associates

Bachelors

Masters

Doctorate

Other

Less than $26,000

 
 

3
 

1

1

1

$26,000-$30,000

 

1

3

8

3
 
 

$31,000-$35,000

2

4

1

12

7

1
 

$36,000-$40,000

2

4

1

14

13
 
 

$41,000-$45,000

 

8

2

17

17
 
 

$46,000-$50,000

2

7

3

10

18
 
 

$51,000-$55,000

1

5

1

9

19

4

1

$56,000-$60,000

 

1
 

1

8

9
 

$61,000-$65,000

 

1
 

3

4

1
 

Over $65,000

 
 

1

5

11

3

1

TOTAL

7

31

15

79

101

19

3

 

Table 10.
Summary of Salary Range by Primary Service Area

Primary Service Area

Annual Salary Range

Rural

Suburban

Urban

Less than $26,000

3

1

2

$26,000-$30,000

11

1

3

$31,000-$35,000

19

2

6

$36,000-$40,000

17

6

11

$41,000-$45,000

22

9

13

$46,000-$50,000

21

4

15

$51,000-$55,000

16

8

16

$56,000-$60,000

4

9

6

$61,000-$65,000
 

2

7

Over $65,000

6

3

12

TOTAL 119

119

45

91

 

Table 11.
Summary of Annual Salary by the
Average Number of People Served in a Month.

Annual Salary Range

Less than 25

26-50

51-75

76-100

101-125

126-150

151-175

176-200

201-225

226-250

More than 250

Less than $26,000

1

1

1

2
 
 

1
 
 
 
 

$26,000-$30,000

3

5

2

2

2
 
 

1
 
 
 

$31,000-$35,000

2

7

4

2

1

2

1

2

2

1

2

$36,000-$40,000

 

6

4

6

3

4

4

3

2

3

$41,000-$45,000

2

9

5

6

7

2

3

3

2

2

3

$46,000-$50,000

 

5

5

2

7

4

3

4

1

4

5

$51,000-$55,000

2

7

6

5

6
 

2
 

3

1

8

$56,000-$60,000
  

1

2

3

3

3

1

1

1
 

4

$61,000-$65,000
 

1
 
 
 
 

1
 
 
 

7

Over $65,000
 
 
 
 

1
 
 

2

5
 

13

TOTAL

10

42

29

28

30

15

16

16

16

8

44

 

Table 12.
Summary of Salary Range by Number of Employees Supervised.

Number of Employees Supervised

Annual Salary Range

Less than 5 Employees

6-10 Employees

11-20 Employees

More Than 20 Employees

Less than $26,000

4

1

1
 

$26,000-$30,000

6

6

1

1

$31,000-$35,000

2

16

7

2

$36,000-$40,000

5

18

10

1

$41,000-$45,000

6

18

13

7

$46,000-$50,000

6

9

19

6

$51,000-$55,000

4

16

11

9

$56,000-$60,000

4

5

7

3

$61,000-$65,000

1

4

2

2

Over $65,000

4

8

1

8

TOTAL

43

101

72

39


Table 13.
Summary of Annual Salary by Experience in the Independent Living Field.

Independent Living Experience

Annual Salary Range

Less Than 1 Year

2-5 Years

6-10 Years

11-15 Years

16-20 Years

More Than 20 Years

Less than $26,000

3

2

1
 
 
 

$26,000-$30,000

3

4

6

2
 
 

$31,000-$35,000

1

10

10

4

1

1

$36,000-$40,000

2

10

6

7

8

1

$41,000-$45,000

 

13

12

9

8

2

$46,000-$50,000

1

4

10

15

7

3

$51,000-$55,000

1

6

12

7

8

6

$56,000-$60,000
 

2

7

4

4

2

$61,000-$65,000
 

2
 

3

2

2

Over $65,000

 

3

1

5

2

10

TOTAL

11

56

65

56

40

27


Table 14.
Summary of Annual Salary by
Years of Experience as a CIL Executive Director.

Independent Living Experience

Annual Salary Range

Less Than 1 Year

1-3 Years

4-5 Years

6-10 Years

11-15 Years

More Than 15 Years

Less than $26,000

2

4
 
 
 
 

$26,000-$30,000

6

3

2

2

2
 

$31,000-$35,000

4

15

4

3

1
 

$36,000-$40,000

4

16

3

8

2

1

$41,000-$45,000

3

18

6

8

6

3

$46,000-$50,000

2

11

6

10

8

3

$51,000-$55,000

3

9

5

12

8

3

$56,000-$60,000

2

2

3

6

3

3

$61,000-$65,000

1

2

1

2

3
 

Over $65,000

1

6
 
 

8

6

TOTAL

28

86

30

51

41

19
Table 15.
Annual Salary Ranges in Each RSA Region.

RSA Regions

Annual Salary

Most Common Salary Range

Lowest Range Reported

Highest Range Reported

I. New England [12]9

$46,000-$50,000 (4) 10

$36,000-$40,000 (1)

More than $65,000 (2)

II. Upper Mid Atlantic [27]

$41,000-$45,000 (6)

$31,000-$35,000 (1)

More than $65,000 (3)

III. Mid Atlantic [29]

Median range: $36,000-$40,000 11

Less than $26,000 (2)

More than $65,000 (4)

IV. Southeast [27]

Median range: $41,000-$45,000

Less than $26,000 (1)

More than $65,000 (1)

V. Upper Midwest [49]

$46,000-$50,000 (12)

$26,000-$30,000 (1)

More than $65,000 (5)

VI. South/Southwest [23]

$41,000-$45,000 (7)

Less than $26,000 (1)

$61,000-$65,000 (1)

VII. Central Midwest [30]

$51,000-$55,000 (7)

$26,000-$30,000 (5)

More than $65,000 (3)

VIII. Mountain/Plains [19]

$31,000-$35,000 (5)

Less than $26,000 (1)

$56,000-$60,000 (1)

IX. West and Pacific Rim [26]

Median range: $46,000-$50,000

$31,000-$35,000 (4)

More than $65,000 (3)

X. Northwest [13]

$36,000-$40,000 (4)

Less than $26,000 (1)

$51,000-$55,000 (2)


Table 16.
Independent Living Experience of CIL Executive Directors in Each Region.

RSA Regions

Years Experience in the Independent Living Field

Less than 1 year

2-5 years

6-10 years

11-15 years

15-20 years

More than 20 years

I. New England [12]12
 

1

2

5

2

2

II. Upper Mid Atlantic [27]

2

9

4

3

6

3

III. Mid Atlantic [29]

1

6

7

9

3

3

IV. Southeast [27]
 

7

7

6

6

1

V. Upper Midwest [49]

1

8

13

15

6

6

VI. South/Southwest [23]

3

8

5

4

2

1

VII. Central Midwest [30]

1

5

12

4

4

4

VIII. Mountain/Plains [19]

2

4

5

5

2

1

IX. West and Pacific Rim [26]

 

6

8

4

3

5

X. Northwest [13]

1

2

2

1

6

1

TOTAL

11

56

65

56

40

27


Table 17.
Executive Director Experience of CIL Executive Directors in Each Region.

RSA Regions

Years Experience as an Executive Director

Less than 1 year

1-3 years

4-5 years

6-10 years

11-15 years

More than 15 years

I. New England [12]

13

2

3

1

1

5

II. Upper Mid Atlantic [27]

5

7

5

2

3

5

III. Mid Atlantic [29]

1

10

1

7

7

3

IV. Southeast [27]

2

11

3

7

4
 

V. Upper Midwest [49]

1

17

4

11

11

5

VI. South/Southwest [23]

6

9

3

4

1
 

VII. Central Midwest [30]

4

3

9

8

3

3

VIII. Mountain/Plains [19]

3

5

4

4

1

2

IX. West and Pacific Rim [26]

3

12
 

6

4

1

X. Northwest [13]

1

9
 

1

2
 

TOTAL

28

86

30

51

41

19

 

 

This document may be reproduced for noncommercial use without prior permission if the author and ILRU are cited.

The mission of the IL NET is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, systems advocacy, computer networking, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, webcasts, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field.

ILRU is a program of The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR), a nationally recognized, free-standing medical rehabilitation facility for persons with physical and cognitive disabilities. TIRR is part of TIRR Systems, which is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing a continuum of services to individuals with disabilities.

Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred.

©2005 ILRU Program, All rights reserved
Contact Us: IL NET or ILRU
713.520.0232 (Voice) 713.520.5136 (TTY) 713.520.5785 (Fax)