Registered Nurses Salary in Illinois
At $95,990 a year, the median for registered nurses in Illinois is close to the national median of $97,550 (−2%); Illinois ranks 21st of 51 states by median. Registered Nurses earn 85% more than the median across all occupations in Illinois ($51,960). Illinois pays more than every neighbouring state: Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and Iowa range from $78,630 in Iowa to $95,530 in Wisconsin. Illinois employs 138,910 registered nurses, 22.8 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.05 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 | $33.26 | $38.47 | $46.15 | $50.94 | $56.82 | $45.36 | 138,910 | 22.78 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $69,170 | $80,020 | $95,990 | $105,960 | $118,190 | $94,360 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $33.14 | $38.62 | $46.90 | $54.02 | $66.09 | $48.76 | 3,379,720 | – | – |
| Annual | $68,940 | $80,330 | $97,550 | $112,350 | $137,470 | $101,420 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 21st of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.05
- Jobs per 1,000
- 22.78
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 registered nurses, 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 | $48.31 | $100,490 | $77,410 | $119,260 | 100,240 | 22.21 | 1.02 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $43.38 | $90,230 | $76,510 | $121,750 | 3,520 | 33.38 | 1.54 |
| Decatur, IL | $41.91 | $87,170 | $71,910 | $104,930 | 790 | 17.31 | 0.80 |
| Kankakee, IL | $41.45 | $86,220 | $66,020 | $108,720 | 1,390 | 32.85 | 1.51 |
| Springfield, IL | $40.49 | $84,220 | $69,170 | $107,140 | 4,110 | 40.72 | 1.87 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $39.99 | $83,180 | $63,440 | $104,460 | 35,200 | 26.25 | 1.21 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $39.73 | $82,640 | $62,620 | $104,830 | 1,470 | 32.96 | 1.52 |
| Peoria, IL | $38.95 | $81,010 | $68,980 | $100,330 | 5,460 | 32.91 | 1.51 |
| Rockford, IL | $38.91 | $80,930 | $66,320 | $112,790 | 4,620 | 33.54 | 1.54 |
| Bloomington, IL | $38.45 | $79,970 | $62,980 | $107,260 | 1,990 | 22.59 | 1.04 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $38.42 | $79,920 | $65,200 | $101,280 | 1,720 | 34.19 | 1.57 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $37.09 | $77,150 | $63,650 | $98,610 | 3,520 | 19.51 | 0.90 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $40.02 | $83,230 | $63,530 | $106,920 | 3,600 | 25.15 | 1.16 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $38.56 | $80,200 | $62,120 | $107,990 | 3,860 | 27.35 | 1.26 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $38.40 | $79,880 | $61,400 | $102,200 | 3,880 | 22.90 | 1.05 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $38.26 | $79,580 | $63,570 | $107,660 | 2,340 | 18.44 | 0.85 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Registered Nurses (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.