Rockford, IL
Across all occupations in the Rockford, IL metropolitan area, the median wage is $47,120 a year ($22.65 an hour) and the mean $61,020, May 2025. That median is −8% against the US median of $50,980 and −9% against Illinois's $51,960. BLS counts 137,650 jobs in the area. The highest-paying occupation is physicians, all other; the largest is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand.
All occupations: Rockford, IL vs Illinois and the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| Rockford, IL | Hourly | $15.00 | $17.43 | $22.65 | $35.58 | $48.60 | $29.34 | 137,650 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $36,260 | $47,120 | $74,000 | $101,100 | $61,020 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
328 detailed occupations publish a median in this area. State profile: Illinois. Compare any occupation across every area in the wage explorer.
20 highest-paying occupations in Rockford, IL
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physicians, All Other | $323,660 | $155.61 | 410 |
| 2 | Chief Executives | $323,030 | $155.30 | 90 |
| 3 | Dentists, General | $214,670 | $103.21 | 130 |
| 4 | Family Medicine Physicians | $168,210 | $80.87 | 60 |
| 5 | Pediatricians, General | $161,330 | $77.56 | 30 |
| 6 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $146,930 | $70.64 | 250 |
| 7 | Computer and Information Systems Managers in Illinois | $146,600 | $70.48 | 250 |
| 8 | Financial Managers in Illinois | $135,650 | $65.22 | 590 |
| 9 | Pharmacists | $134,190 | $64.52 | 300 |
| 10 | Sales Managers in Illinois | $133,560 | $64.21 | 510 |
| 11 | Veterinarians | $132,720 | $63.81 | 50 |
| 12 | Managers, All Other in Illinois | $127,870 | $61.48 | 320 |
| 13 | Physician Assistants | $127,800 | $61.44 | 60 |
| 14 | Nurse Practitioners | $127,720 | $61.41 | 240 |
| 15 | Purchasing Managers | $126,970 | $61.04 | 90 |
| 16 | Marketing Managers | $124,440 | $59.83 | 170 |
| 17 | Human Resources Managers | $123,090 | $59.18 | 200 |
| 18 | Medical and Health Services Managers | $121,920 | $58.61 | 540 |
| 19 | Industrial Production Managers | $120,800 | $58.08 | 460 |
| 20 | Information Security Analysts | $119,400 | $57.41 | 90 |
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 Rockford, IL
Most concentrated occupations in Rockford, IL
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 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 11.23 | 170 | 1.21 | $47,690 |
| 2 | Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 9.34 | 120 | 0.84 | $39,240 |
| 3 | Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | 9.18 | 1,380 | 10.01 | $46,780 |
| 4 | Tool and Die Makers | 7.67 | 390 | 2.81 | $52,900 |
| 5 | Machinists | 7.10 | 1,800 | 13.10 | $49,700 |
| 6 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 6.23 | 180 | 1.30 | $37,840 |
| 7 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 5.26 | 310 | 2.27 | $44,580 |
| 8 | Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 4.78 | 580 | 4.24 | * |
| 9 | Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | 4.11 | 1,380 | 10.02 | $40,990 |
| 10 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | 3.16 | 190 | 1.39 | $100,290 |
Occupation groups in Rockford, IL
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $105,510 | $123,140 | 9,090 | 66.03 | 0.92 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $93,800 | $96,070 | 2,440 | 17.73 | 1.05 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $83,150 | $91,460 | 1,780 | 12.94 | 0.38 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $80,000 | $99,850 | 10,190 | 74.07 | 1.17 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $79,930 | $86,440 | 580 | 4.22 | 0.45 |
| Legal | $78,530 | $104,240 | 600 | 4.36 | 0.52 |
| Construction and Extraction | $76,470 | $77,580 | 4,700 | 34.17 | 0.83 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $74,040 | $80,460 | 5,270 | 38.29 | 0.57 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $59,370 | $63,020 | 5,970 | 43.35 | 1.11 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $57,370 | $59,450 | 7,890 | 57.33 | 0.98 |
| Protective Service | $56,650 | $60,850 | 2,710 | 19.72 | 0.81 |
| Community and Social Service | $51,460 | $58,410 | 2,360 | 17.15 | 1.00 |
| Production | $46,670 | $49,950 | 16,500 | 119.87 | 2.18 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $45,570 | $48,680 | 13,760 | 99.98 | 0.88 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $44,760 | $54,580 | 1,050 | 7.64 | 0.58 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $44,200 | $46,060 | 16,390 | 119.06 | 1.35 |
| Healthcare Support | $38,440 | $42,440 | 6,230 | 45.27 | 0.89 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $36,800 | $40,440 | 100 | 0.73 | 0.26 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $36,400 | $39,570 | 3,700 | 26.87 | 0.92 |
| Sales and Related | $35,830 | $49,240 | 11,390 | 82.78 | 0.96 |
| Personal Care and Service | $33,280 | $38,090 | 2,620 | 19.07 | 0.91 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $31,640 | $35,170 | 12,310 | 89.40 | 1.02 |
Every occupation in Illinois, and the area's place among the state's metros, is on the state profile. All 328 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 Rockford, IL estimates (area 40420).
*- Wage 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 Rockford, IL 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.