Nursing Assistants Salary in Illinois
The median for nursing assistants in Illinois is $45,960 a year, somewhat above the national $42,260 (+9%); the state ranks 15th of 51 states by median. That is 12% less than the median across all occupations in Illinois ($51,960). Illinois pays more than every neighbouring state: Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, Indiana and Missouri range from $37,680 in Missouri to $45,130 in Wisconsin. Illinois employs 68,640 nursing assistants, 11.3 per 1,000 jobs, the 5th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.21 means the occupation is more concentrated in Illinois than nationally.
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 | $18.07 | $18.95 | $22.10 | $23.26 | $25.99 | $21.75 | 68,640 | 11.26 | 1.21 |
| Annual | $37,590 | $39,420 | $45,960 | $48,380 | $54,050 | $45,230 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.32 | $17.91 | $20.32 | $22.70 | $24.99 | $20.53 | 1,448,910 | – | – |
| Annual | $33,940 | $37,260 | $42,260 | $47,220 | $51,980 | $42,700 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 15th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 5th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.21
- Jobs per 1,000
- 11.26
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 nursing assistants, 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 | $22.57 | $46,940 | $38,980 | $54,450 | 45,850 | 10.16 | 1.09 |
| Bloomington, IL | $20.76 | $43,180 | $37,380 | $51,470 | 950 | 10.78 | 1.16 |
| Peoria, IL | $20.69 | $43,040 | $37,110 | $48,960 | 2,740 | 16.50 | 1.77 |
| Decatur, IL | $20.19 | $41,990 | $36,390 | $51,290 | 600 | 13.12 | 1.41 |
| Rockford, IL | $19.30 | $40,140 | $37,440 | $48,810 | 2,120 | 15.38 | 1.65 |
| Springfield, IL | $19.27 | $40,070 | $38,050 | $48,160 | 1,120 | 11.15 | 1.20 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $19.18 | $39,890 | $37,820 | $48,790 | 1,560 | 14.76 | 1.58 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $18.81 | $39,110 | $35,300 | $46,890 | 14,620 | 10.90 | 1.17 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $18.62 | $38,740 | $36,100 | $46,810 | 2,220 | 12.28 | 1.32 |
| Kankakee, IL | $18.22 | $37,900 | $32,750 | $49,760 | 860 | 20.33 | 2.18 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $18.20 | $37,860 | $30,210 | $44,240 | 710 | 14.19 | 1.52 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $17.62 | $36,650 | $30,610 | $43,460 | 680 | 15.19 | 1.63 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $20.93 | $43,530 | $36,370 | $49,000 | 2,390 | 16.95 | 1.82 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $19.66 | $40,880 | $36,670 | $49,370 | 3,350 | 19.79 | 2.12 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $19.06 | $39,650 | $36,280 | $48,650 | 1,990 | 15.69 | 1.68 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $18.68 | $38,850 | $36,950 | $48,400 | 2,400 | 16.75 | 1.80 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Nursing Assistants (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.