Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Across all occupations in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, the median wage is $54,720 a year ($26.31 an hour) and the mean $73,380, May 2025. That median is +7% against the US median of $50,980 and +5% against Illinois's $51,960. BLS counts 4,513,280 jobs in the area, which spans Illinois and Indiana. The highest-paying occupation is radiologists; the largest is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand.
All occupations: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN vs Illinois and Indiana and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.47 | $18.50 | $26.31 | $41.67 | $62.88 | $35.28 | 4,513,280 |
| Annual | $34,260 | $38,480 | $54,720 | $86,670 | $130,790 | $73,380 | ||
| Illinois | Hourly | $15.82 | $18.25 | $24.98 | $39.93 | $61.43 | $34.20 | 6,098,130 |
| Annual | $32,900 | $37,960 | $51,960 | $83,060 | $127,770 | $71,130 | ||
| Indiana | Hourly | $14.00 | $17.55 | $23.01 | $34.62 | $48.63 | $29.25 | 3,201,220 |
| Annual | $29,120 | $36,500 | $47,860 | $72,000 | $101,160 | $60,840 | ||
| United States | Hourly | $15.00 | $18.07 | $24.51 | $38.71 | $61.81 | $33.54 | 155,495,730 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $37,590 | $50,980 | $80,520 | $128,560 | $69,770 | ||
719 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profiles: Illinois, Indiana. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radiologists | $479,910 | $230.73 | ** |
| 2 | Cardiologists | $475,590 | $228.65 | 150 |
| 3 | Surgeons, All Other | $462,620 | $222.41 | 340 |
| 4 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $446,510 | $214.67 | 50 |
| 5 | Dermatologists | $435,750 | $209.49 | ** |
| 6 | Chief Executives | $344,960 | $165.85 | 3,610 |
| 7 | Physicians, Pathologists | $336,660 | $161.86 | ** |
| 8 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $293,490 | * | 6,360 |
| 9 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $284,630 | $136.84 | 510 |
| 10 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $269,160 | $129.40 | 150 |
| 11 | Nurse Anesthetists | $265,880 | $127.83 | 840 |
| 12 | Psychiatrists | $258,750 | $124.40 | 600 |
| 13 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $226,060 | $108.69 | 680 |
| 14 | Family Medicine Physicians | $225,080 | $108.21 | 1,430 |
| 15 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $208,000 | $100.00 | 1,120 |
| 16 | Air Traffic Controllers | $189,780 | $91.24 | 850 |
| 17 | Pediatricians, General | $188,340 | $90.55 | 860 |
| 18 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Illinois | $173,760 | $83.54 | 24,950 |
| 19 | Financial Managers in Illinois | $168,810 | $81.16 | 41,590 |
| 20 | Podiatrists | $167,140 | $80.36 | ** |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes in this area cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Most concentrated occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
The 10 occupations with the highest location quotient among those employing at least 100 people in the area. A quotient of 2.00 means the occupation's share of local jobs is twice its national share.
| Rank | Occupation | Location quotient | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | 10.20 | 1,100 | 0.24 | $82,230 |
| 2 | Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders | 4.69 | 1,460 | 0.32 | $61,420 |
| 3 | Hoist and Winch Operators | 4.00 | 300 | 0.07 | $118,210 |
| 4 | Surgical Assistants | 3.23 | 2,090 | 0.46 | $80,210 |
| 5 | Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 2.97 | 1,430 | 0.32 | $63,470 |
| 6 | Physicists | 2.54 | 1,510 | 0.33 | $137,140 |
| 7 | Nuclear Technicians | 2.51 | 470 | 0.10 | $99,990 |
| 8 | Pourers and Casters, Metal | 2.42 | 320 | 0.07 | $61,680 |
| 8 | Flight Attendants | 2.42 | 9,240 | 2.05 | $62,120 |
| 10 | Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 2.38 | 6,550 | 1.45 | $50,230 |
Occupation groups in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $131,890 | $150,130 | 404,010 | 89.52 | 1.25 |
| Legal | $112,440 | $148,260 | 43,470 | 9.63 | 1.15 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $105,170 | $114,060 | 131,320 | 29.10 | 0.86 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $99,560 | $103,200 | 55,170 | 12.22 | 0.73 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $91,320 | $106,210 | 279,160 | 61.85 | 0.98 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $84,780 | $96,800 | 305,300 | 67.65 | 1.00 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $84,700 | $100,370 | 35,310 | 7.82 | 0.83 |
| Construction and Extraction | $84,230 | $85,000 | 132,250 | 29.30 | 0.71 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $66,320 | $77,650 | 49,450 | 10.96 | 0.83 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $61,700 | $70,090 | 282,420 | 62.58 | 1.07 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $61,430 | $66,320 | 145,360 | 32.21 | 0.82 |
| Community and Social Service | $58,860 | $64,720 | 74,990 | 16.62 | 0.97 |
| Protective Service | $51,410 | $66,950 | 120,410 | 26.68 | 1.10 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $48,840 | $53,700 | 488,940 | 108.33 | 0.95 |
| Production | $46,940 | $51,860 | 286,630 | 63.51 | 1.15 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,920 | $53,680 | 484,580 | 107.37 | 1.22 |
| Sales and Related | $41,840 | $59,990 | 390,370 | 86.49 | 1.00 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $41,170 | $45,790 | 2,050 | 0.46 | 0.16 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $39,640 | $43,410 | 122,840 | 27.22 | 0.93 |
| Healthcare Support | $39,230 | $43,250 | 204,740 | 45.36 | 0.89 |
| Personal Care and Service | $36,590 | $42,480 | 104,260 | 23.10 | 1.10 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $35,220 | $37,730 | 370,240 | 82.03 | 0.93 |
Every occupation in Illinois and Indiana, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profiles. All 719 published occupations for this area are in the wage explorer; other metros are on the metros hub.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN estimates (area 16980).
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's employment per 1,000 jobs in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area; the location quotient is that share divided by the national share.
- The concentration table keeps only occupations with employment of 100 or more in the area, so a quotient built on a handful of rounded jobs cannot top it.
- The area spans Illinois and Indiana; its figures are the whole MSA, as BLS publishes them, under the primary state Illinois.