Lawyers Salary in Illinois
At $160,800 a year, the median for lawyers in Illinois is close to the national median of $159,670 (+1%); Illinois ranks 10th of 51 states by median. Lawyers earn 3.1 times the median across all occupations in Illinois ($51,960). Illinois pays more than every neighbouring state: Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Kentucky range from $101,550 in Kentucky to $133,450 in Missouri. Illinois employs 33,590 lawyers, 5.51 per 1,000 jobs, the 5th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.14 is close to the national share.
Illinois vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $39.50 | $49.53 | $77.31 | $107.91 | $158.75 | $87.14 | 33,590 | 5.51 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $82,160 | $103,020 | $160,800 | $224,450 | $330,200 | $181,240 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $37.67 | $49.51 | $76.76 | $106.43 | $169.04 | $89.35 | 754,500 | – | – |
| Annual | $78,360 | $102,990 | $159,670 | $221,370 | $351,600 | $185,840 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 10th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 5th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.14
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.51
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Illinois's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Illinois
12 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Illinois publish a row for lawyers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $79.64 | $165,660 | $87,070 | $331,140 | 28,320 | 6.27 | 1.29 |
| Peoria, IL | $77.48 | $161,150 | $79,260 | $293,940 | 560 | 3.35 | 0.69 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $68.60 | $142,690 | $67,600 | $306,650 | 6,100 | 4.55 | 0.94 |
| Springfield, IL | $63.18 | $131,400 | $75,650 | $221,700 | 530 | 5.26 | 1.08 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $62.50 | $129,990 | $76,630 | $303,410 | 250 | 2.36 | 0.49 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $60.02 | $124,850 | $72,640 | $301,470 | 420 | 2.34 | 0.48 |
| Bloomington, IL | $59.66 | $124,100 | $38,680 | $282,680 | 530 | 6.06 | 1.25 |
| Kankakee, IL | $51.46 | $107,030 | $80,020 | $242,890 | 50 | 1.30 | 0.27 |
| Rockford, IL | $49.61 | $103,190 | $73,720 | $225,630 | 340 | 2.51 | 0.52 |
| Decatur, IL | $48.46 | $100,790 | $74,710 | $211,610 | 70 | 1.54 | 0.32 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $46.62 | $96,960 | $59,980 | $163,680 | 150 | 3.00 | 0.62 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $45.48 | $94,600 | $61,920 | $204,690 | 120 | 2.59 | 0.53 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $61.11 | $127,120 | $61,590 | $225,750 | 200 | 1.41 | 0.29 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $53.90 | $112,120 | $64,050 | $210,600 | 280 | 1.96 | 0.40 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $50.05 | $104,110 | $66,410 | $208,850 | 240 | 1.85 | 0.38 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $49.58 | $103,130 | $59,140 | $210,580 | 330 | 1.93 | 0.40 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Lawyers (every state ranked) and the Illinois wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Illinois estimates.
- 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.