Illinois
Across all occupations in Illinois, the median wage is $51,960 a year ($24.98 an hour) and the mean $71,130, May 2025. That median is +2% against the US median of $50,980. BLS counts 6,098,130 jobs in the state. The highest-paying occupation is cardiologists; the largest is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand.
All occupations: Illinois vs the United States
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| 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 | ||
Minimum wage in Illinois
The wage floor is a separate question from these survey figures. See the Illinois minimum wage page for the current rate, scheduled increases and tipped rules, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor.
20 highest-paying occupations in Illinois
| Rank | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $517,850 | $248.97 | 340 |
| 2 | Surgeons, All Other | $438,010 | $210.58 | 620 |
| 3 | Dermatologists | $435,750 | $209.49 | ** |
| 4 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $426,580 | $205.09 | 170 |
| 5 | Physicians, Pathologists | $381,770 | $183.55 | ** |
| 6 | Orthodontists | $343,100 | $164.95 | ** |
| 7 | Chief Executives | $331,920 | $159.58 | 4,620 |
| 8 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $293,490 | * | 6,460 |
| 9 | Nurse Anesthetists | $286,830 | $137.90 | 1,140 |
| 10 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $284,630 | $136.84 | 620 |
| 11 | Psychiatrists | $258,740 | $124.40 | 870 |
| 12 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $250,880 | $120.62 | 230 |
| 13 | Family Medicine Physicians | $245,120 | $117.84 | 1,960 |
| 14 | Neurologists | $237,080 | $113.98 | 240 |
| 15 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $208,000 | $100.00 | 1,290 |
| 16 | Pediatricians, General | $196,760 | $94.60 | 1,180 |
| 17 | Air Traffic Controllers | $181,560 | $87.29 | 990 |
| 18 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,730 | $82.56 | 31,680 |
| 19 | Podiatrists | $167,400 | $80.48 | ** |
| 20 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $167,330 | $80.45 | 160 |
Ranked by median; an occupation whose median BLS withholds or top-codes cannot appear here, however well it pays.
20 largest occupations in Illinois
Occupation groups in Illinois
| Group | Median annual | Mean annual | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | $128,080 | $144,000 | 534,130 | 87.59 |
| Legal | $105,090 | $141,420 | 52,860 | 8.67 |
| Computer and Mathematical | $103,200 | $110,830 | 182,560 | 29.94 |
| Architecture and Engineering | $98,740 | $102,050 | 80,480 | 13.20 |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | $84,940 | $103,780 | 378,880 | 62.13 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | $82,870 | $95,640 | 46,560 | 7.64 |
| Business and Financial Operations | $82,700 | $94,130 | 405,170 | 66.44 |
| Construction and Extraction | $80,570 | $81,670 | 187,190 | 30.70 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | $63,720 | $74,520 | 64,970 | 10.66 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | $60,660 | $64,960 | 210,710 | 34.55 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | $60,400 | $67,350 | 384,470 | 63.05 |
| Community and Social Service | $57,880 | $63,350 | 104,240 | 17.09 |
| Protective Service | $56,670 | $66,900 | 153,150 | 25.12 |
| Office and Administrative Support | $47,740 | $52,030 | 679,940 | 111.50 |
| Production | $47,030 | $51,560 | 412,330 | 67.62 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | $45,480 | $52,330 | 634,040 | 103.97 |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | $44,120 | $46,660 | 6,480 | 1.06 |
| Healthcare Support | $38,970 | $42,760 | 269,440 | 44.18 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | $38,540 | $42,410 | 167,910 | 27.53 |
| Sales and Related | $38,480 | $57,660 | 518,110 | 84.96 |
| Personal Care and Service | $36,160 | $41,740 | 129,910 | 21.30 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | $34,260 | $37,150 | 494,610 | 81.11 |
Metropolitan areas in Illinois
12 metropolitan areas touch Illinois, plus 4 nonmetropolitan areas, with the all-occupations median of each. A linked metropolitan area has its own profile; nonmetropolitan areas appear here only.
| Area | Type | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | Metropolitan | $53,140 | $25.55 | 88,110 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | Metropolitan | $44,470 | $21.38 | 44,680 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | Metropolitan | $50,700 | $24.38 | 105,500 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Metropolitan | $54,720 | $26.31 | 4,513,280 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | Metropolitan | $48,550 | $23.34 | 180,450 |
| Decatur, IL | Metropolitan | $51,290 | $24.66 | 45,550 |
| Kankakee, IL | Metropolitan | $45,830 | $22.03 | 42,340 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | Metropolitan | $45,860 | $22.05 | 50,270 |
| Peoria, IL | Metropolitan | $49,590 | $23.84 | 166,020 |
| Rockford, IL | Metropolitan | $47,120 | $22.65 | 137,650 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Metropolitan | $49,990 | $24.03 | 1,341,320 |
| Springfield, IL | Metropolitan | $52,670 | $25.32 | 100,810 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $47,010 | $22.60 | 126,860 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $46,220 | $22.22 | 169,470 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $46,570 | $22.39 | 143,050 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | Nonmetropolitan | $46,810 | $22.50 | 141,200 |
Occupation pages for Illinois
63 occupations have a dedicated Illinois page with the state's percentiles, its metro table and a comparison with neighbouring states.
- Accountants and Auditors $80,230
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics $49,170
- Bartenders $31,200
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks $49,560
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other $82,070
- Carpenters $79,000
- Cashiers $34,490
- Computer and Information Systems Managers $171,730
- Computer User Support Specialists $59,860
- Construction Laborers $60,690
- Cooks, Fast Food $34,960
- Cooks, Restaurant $37,580
- Customer Service Representatives $46,130
- Electricians $99,560
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education $75,320
- Fast Food and Counter Workers $33,910
- Financial Managers $165,880
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $105,750
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $39,470
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $83,180
- First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $69,010
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $75,200
- First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers $47,990
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $65,420
- Food Preparation Workers $34,850
- General and Operations Managers $103,570
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $60,320
- Home Health and Personal Care Aides $38,060
- Human Resources Specialists $76,820
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators $47,720
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $37,810
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand $40,550
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers $43,790
- Lawyers $160,800
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses $75,000
- Light Truck Drivers $47,380
- Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $36,380
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General $56,720
- Management Analysts $104,270
- Managers, All Other $140,240
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $79,120
- Medical Assistants $46,090
- Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants $46,670
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $76,110
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $44,140
- Nursing Assistants $45,960
- Office Clerks, General $45,730
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $100,520
- Project Management Specialists $103,470
- Receptionists and Information Clerks $37,400
- Registered Nurses $95,990
- Retail Salespersons $35,370
- Sales Managers $155,280
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel $66,900
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products $73,510
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $79,990
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive $48,310
- Security Guards $39,490
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks $46,760
- Software Developers $132,110
- Stockers and Order Fillers $37,680
- Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary $36,990
- Waiters and Waitresses $31,200
Take-home pay and benefits calculators for Illinois
FastCalc, a sister site, has these calculators for Illinois. Each takes your own figures; this site computes nothing.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Illinois estimates.
*- 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 Illinois.