State salary profile · Illinois

Illinois Salaries

Illinois statewide wages plus 8 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS May 2025. Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area.

$203,780
Mean of top 50 medians
745
Occupations
12
Local wage areas
379,310
Estimated jobs (top tier)

The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians in Illinois is $203,780.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, The May 2025 release has a published median for 745 occupations in Illinois; percentile boundaries and local-area rows are available only where BLS publishes them. The highest-paying reported occupation, Cardiologists, earns $517,850, versus $31,200 for Telemarketers at the bottom of the range. Detail is available for 8 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas. Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area.

Illinois · employment ≠ wage

In Illinois, Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand lead by published employment (195,390 jobs, #1 of 705) but rank #613 of 705 on median wage ($40,550), while Cardiologists top the wage list at $517,850 (#1 of 705) with 340 jobs (#583 of 705). The largest payroll is not the highest published median.

195,390
Laborers and Freight employment #1
$517,850
Cardiologists wage #1
#583
Employment rank of wage leader
#613
Wage rank of employment leader

Employment is OEWS tot_emp inside this state; pay is the occupation median. Same detailed-occupation pool, two rankings.

Employment of Illinois's #1 occupations by headcount vs median wage

Same unit (published jobs) for both named leaders. BLS OEWS May 2025.

jobs

What this shows Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand lead Illinois by employment; Cardiologists lead on median wage at $517,850.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

Illinois, the picture in one line

Illinois ranks #16 of 54 states and territories by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage; its highest published occupation median is Cardiologists at $517,850. Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area.

#16
of 54 states by published mean wage
$517,850
top-paying: Cardiologists
70th
percentile among all states
Bloomington, IL
local OEWS: Bloomington, IL and Champaign-Urbana, IL

The state rank uses BLS's All Occupations mean. Occupation rows below use occupation-specific medians; the two statistics are not interchangeable. Start local checks in Bloomington, IL.

Statewide OEWS footprints behind Illinois's 12 local areas

Software Developers and Financial Managers lead Illinois's published employment inside this top-pay sample, order follows OEWS job counts, not median wage.

  1. 1. Software Developers 56,310 jobs · $132,110
  2. 2. Financial Managers 52,720 jobs · $165,880
  3. 3. Lawyers 33,590 jobs · $160,800
  4. 4. Sales Managers 32,240 jobs · $155,280
  5. 5. Computer and Information Systems Managers 31,680 jobs · $171,730
  6. 6. Managers, All Other 31,680 jobs · $140,240
  7. 7. Marketing Managers 21,140 jobs · $162,860
  8. 8. Physicians, All Other 20,790 jobs · $132,540
  9. 9. Human Resources Managers 13,520 jobs · $151,370
  10. 10. Pharmacists 12,070 jobs · $139,080
  11. 11. Architectural and Engineering Managers 8,900 jobs · $163,610
  12. 12. Computer Network Architects 7,810 jobs · $132,790
  13. 13. Dentists, General 6,940 jobs · $156,110
  14. 14. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 6,460 jobs · $293,490
  15. 15. First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives 4,900 jobs · $135,080
  16. 16. Chief Executives 4,620 jobs · $331,920
  17. 17. Purchasing Managers 4,160 jobs · $153,370
  18. 18. Natural Sciences Managers 2,810 jobs · $159,670
  19. 19. Public Relations Managers 2,770 jobs · $131,990
  20. 20. Veterinarians 2,330 jobs · $133,580

Local BLS wage areas inside Illinois

Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area.

Bloomington, IL Champaign-Urbana, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Decatur, IL East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area Kankakee, IL Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area Peoria, IL Rockford, IL South Illinois nonmetropolitan area Springfield, IL West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area

Observed statewide pay change

What changed, BLS OEWS 2024–2025

May 2024 → May 2025
  • BLS's published All Occupations median in Illinois moved from $50,000 in May 2024 to $51,960 in May 2025 (+3.9%).
  • Across the 54 states and territories priced in both releases, the median place changed +2.7%.
  • Illinois sits +1.2 pp ahead of that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators shows the widest statewide vs national median gap in Illinois

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators publishes $97,740 here versus $59,850 nationally (+63.3%; 12,290statewide jobs). Next is Electricians at $99,560 locally versus $63,190 nationally (+57.6%).

  1. Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$97,740 in Illinois sits 63.3% above the national Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators median of $59,850 (12,290 published local jobs).
  2. Electricians$99,560 in Illinois sits 57.6% above the national Electricians median of $63,190 (23,120 published local jobs).
  3. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$99,950 in Illinois sits 56.7% above the national Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters median of $63,800 (16,750 published local jobs).
  4. Physicians, All Other$132,540 in Illinois sits 50.2% below the national Physicians, All Other median of $265,930 (20,790 published local jobs).

Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators and the other occupations above are descriptive OEWS endpoints for Illinois; they are not findings about taxes, employers, or worker experience.

· Source: BLS OEWS May 2025

The Illinois OEWS table has a published median for 745 occupations. The displayed top 50 rows have summed published employment of approximately 379,310; that sum does not include the bottom table or rows whose employment is suppressed. BLS publishes means and percentile boundaries only where the corresponding estimate meets its publication standards. Averaging the medians of the top 50 highest-paying occupations gives $203,780 per year. That is only a mean of the displayed upper-tier occupation medians; it is not the BLS All Occupations mean or median and does not describe a typical worker. Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area. Local OEWS areas in this extract include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area.

At the top of the ranking, Cardiologists pays a Illinois median of $517,850, the highest-paying reported occupation in the state. The number-two spot goes to Surgeons, All Other at $438,010, followed by Dermatologists at $435,750. At the bottom of the published range, Telemarketers has a median of $31,200, making the displayed endpoint ratio 16.6×. The endpoints do not establish a cause or career stage. WageDex has BLS occupation rows for 8 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Illinois, allowing comparisons below the statewide estimate without treating nonmetropolitan areas as MSAs.

Because Illinois publishes 12 OEWS areas, treat the statewide Cardiologists median as a roll-up and re-check the same occupation in Bloomington, IL or Champaign-Urbana, IL where BLS releases the row. Tips and commissions stay inside OEWS; benefits and equity do not. Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area. Local OEWS area names are state-specific; statewide means are not metro offers.

Top-Tier Sample

75

occupations shown below

Avg. Median Salary

$203,780

top 50 occupations

Top Salary

$517,850

Cardiologists

Where Illinois ranks by published mean wage

BLS All Occupations annual mean vs. 54 states & territories; local OEWS includes Bloomington, IL and Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

$71,130 Top 30% higher than 70% of 54 states & territories

$0–$5,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$45,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Below this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Below this entry. $55,000–$60,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $60,000–$65,000: 16 states & territories (30%). Below this entry. $65,000–$70,000: 8 states & territories (15%). Below this entry. $70,000–$75,000: 8 states & territories (15%). This entry sits in this band. $75,000–$80,000: 4 states & territories (7%). Above this entry. $80,000–$85,000: 3 states & territories (6%). Above this entry. $85,000–$90,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. $90,000–$95,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $95,000–$100,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $100,000–$105,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $105,000–$110,000: 0 states & territories (0%). Above this entry. $110,000–$115,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Above this entry. This state $0 $115,000 every state & territory, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
Band Count Share
$0–$5,000 0 states & territories 0%
$5,000–$10,000 0 states & territories 0%
$10,000–$15,000 0 states & territories 0%
$15,000–$20,000 0 states & territories 0%
$20,000–$25,000 0 states & territories 0%
$25,000–$30,000 0 states & territories 0%
$30,000–$35,000 0 states & territories 0%
$35,000–$40,000 1 states & territories 2%
$40,000–$45,000 0 states & territories 0%
$45,000–$50,000 1 states & territories 2%
$50,000–$55,000 3 states & territories 6%
$55,000–$60,000 8 states & territories 15%
$60,000–$65,000 16 states & territories 30%
$65,000–$70,000 8 states & territories 15%
$70,000–$75,000 (this entry) 8 states & territories 15%
$75,000–$80,000 4 states & territories 7%
$80,000–$85,000 3 states & territories 6%
$85,000–$90,000 1 states & territories 2%
$90,000–$95,000 0 states & territories 0%
$95,000–$100,000 0 states & territories 0%
$100,000–$105,000 0 states & territories 0%
$105,000–$110,000 0 states & territories 0%
$110,000–$115,000 1 states & territories 2%

$71,130 · 70th percentile of 54 states & territories

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Illinois ranks #16 of 54 by BLS-published All Occupations annual mean wage ($71,130). It is not the median wage or a prediction for a particular worker.

National-price-equivalent mean: dividing the $71,130 BLS All Occupations mean by the BEA state RPP gives $71,130. Inputs: BEA Regional Price Parity for Illinois (RPP 100.0, 2024; 100 = national average, all items, table SARPP). The division is a WageDex calculation, not an after-tax or household-income measure.

Largest OEWS footprints in Illinois

Published employment among the top-pay sample, top 15 by jobs

jobs
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS As of May 2025

BLS publishes wage data for 745 distinct occupations in Illinois. The table below shows the top 50 by median annual wage, reordered by published employment for this reading. Drill into the full top-100 ranking or the fastest-growing list for deeper coverage.

Top-pay occupations in Illinois, by employment

View all 100 →

Same top-pay sample as the salary ranking, sorted by published Illinois jobs so the title sequence follows the local OEWS mix.

# Occupation Median Salary
1 Software Developers $132,110
2 Financial Managers $165,880
3 Lawyers $160,800
4 Sales Managers $155,280
5 Computer and Information Systems Managers $171,730
6 Managers, All Other $140,240
7 Marketing Managers $162,860
8 Physicians, All Other $132,540
9 Human Resources Managers $151,370
10 Pharmacists $139,080
11 Architectural and Engineering Managers $163,610
12 Computer Network Architects $132,790
13 Dentists, General $156,110
14 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $293,490
15 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $135,080
16 Chief Executives $331,920
17 Purchasing Managers $153,370
18 Natural Sciences Managers $159,670
19 Public Relations Managers $131,990
20 Veterinarians $133,580
21 Family Medicine Physicians $245,120
22 Database Architects $142,500
23 Physicists $137,140
24 Optometrists $145,620
25 Computer Hardware Engineers $133,220
26 Obstetricians and Gynecologists $208,000
27 Pediatricians, General $196,760
28 Nurse Anesthetists $286,830
29 General Internal Medicine Physicians $140,680
30 Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $133,690
31 Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary $135,430
32 Nuclear Engineers $134,510
33 Air Traffic Controllers $181,560
34 Psychiatrists $258,740
35 Compensation and Benefits Managers $151,730
36 Computer and Information Research Scientists $136,540
37 Surgeons, All Other $438,010
38 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric $284,630
39 Cardiologists $517,850
40 Neurologists $237,080
41 Dentists, All Other Specialists $250,880
42 Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric $426,580
43 Advertising and Promotions Managers $167,330
44 Medical Dosimetrists $163,860
45 Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators $162,410
46 Dermatologists $435,750
47 Physicians, Pathologists $381,770
48 Orthodontists $343,100
49 Podiatrists $167,400
50 Sociologists $140,770

Lowest Paying Jobs in Illinois

Occupation Median Salary
Telemarketers $31,200
Gambling Dealers $31,200
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop $31,200
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers $31,200
Waiters and Waitresses $31,200
Bartenders $31,200
Gambling Change Persons and Booth Cashiers $32,200
Amusement and Recreation Attendants $32,770
Gambling Service Workers, All Other $32,990
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers $33,710
Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals $33,840
School Bus Monitors $33,840
Fast Food and Counter Workers $33,910
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists $34,040
Shampooers $34,190
Cashiers $34,490
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers $34,560
Choreographers $34,560
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners $34,610
Library Assistants, Clerical $34,680
Food Preparation Workers $34,850
Cooks, Fast Food $34,960
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant $35,080
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers $35,220
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand $35,360

Fastest Growing Jobs

View all 50 →

See national growth projections alongside the published OEWS state employment estimates for each occupation in Illinois. Based on BLS employment projections 2024-2034.

Salary Guides

Best States for Salaries

Which states pay the most and why

Salary vs. Cost of Living

Compare local wage and price-level benchmarks

Fastest Growing Occupations

Where the job growth is heading

Nationwide states with similar All Occupations pay or employment scale

Two BLS OEWS peer sets outside Illinois. Local metro cards below stay inside this state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors on published All Occupations mean wage ($71,130 here) and reported employment (6,098,130 jobs here).

Similar mean wage

Nearest other states by BLS All Occupations annual mean wage.

Similar employment scale

Nearest headcount peers (floor 250,000 All Occupations jobs), distinct from the mean-wage column.

Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS All Occupations mean annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the mean-wage column so the two link sets stay distinct.

Local OEWS areas and related Illinois pages

Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area.

Bloomington, IL

Local OEWS wage area

Champaign-Urbana, IL

Local OEWS wage area

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Local OEWS wage area

Decatur, IL

Local OEWS wage area

East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area

Local OEWS wage area

Kankakee, IL

Local OEWS wage area

Highest Paying in Illinois

Top 100 by median salary

Fastest Growing in Illinois

Projected 2024-2034 growth

Cardiologists

National occupation profile

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average of the top 50 occupation medians in Illinois? ▼
The equal-weighted mean of the top 50 published occupation medians is $203,780/year (BLS OEWS May 2025). It is not the statewide mean or median and does not describe the wage of a typical worker.
What is the average salary in Illinois? ▼
BLS publishes an All Occupations annual mean wage of $71,130/year for Illinois in the May 2025 OEWS release, which ranks 16th among the 54 states and territories with a published mean. Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area. This is an occupational wage estimate, not a household-income statistic or a prediction for one worker.
What is the highest paying job in Illinois? ▼
The highest paying occupation in Illinois is Cardiologists with a median salary of $517,850/year according to BLS data. The second highest is Surgeons, All Other at $438,010/year.
What jobs pay the least in Illinois? ▼
The lowest published occupation median in this Illinois ranking is Telemarketers at $31,200/year. The table does not classify that occupation as entry-level or explain why its median is lowest.
How many local BLS wage areas are shown for Illinois? ▼
WageDex has occupation-level wage rows for 8 metro areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas assigned to Illinois. Published local OEWS areas include Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL, East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Kankakee, IL, then Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Peoria, IL, Rockford, IL, South Illinois nonmetropolitan area, Springfield, IL, West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area. Nonmetropolitan reporting areas are not MSAs. Compare the same occupation and statistic across areas; published coverage can differ by occupation and geography.
How many occupations are shown for Illinois? ▼
BLS publishes wage data for 745 distinct occupations in Illinois. The 50 occupations in the displayed upper tier have a combined OEWS employment estimate of approximately 379,310 jobs in covered establishments.

Local-area sources inside Illinois

BLS OEWS state wage tables → BLS OEWS metro area tables → BLS LAUS unemployment → BEA personal income by state →

What to do with this data

How to use Illinois wage data in a real decision

  • Illinois has 12 published OEWS areas starting with Bloomington, IL; open Cardiologists inside a metro before using the statewide $517,850 median. Bloomington, IL
  • Inside Illinois, re-check Cardiologists in Bloomington, IL, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Decatur, IL or East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area before treating the statewide median as a metro offer. Bloomington, IL
  • Open Cardiologists for percentile bands and local-area rows; Illinois's statewide median of $517,850 uses a different geography than any single metro estimate. Cardiologists
  • The published Illinois range runs from Telemarketers at $31,200 to Cardiologists at $517,850; an offer still depends on the exact role and employer. Salary calculator

BLS OEWS estimates reflect the May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.

Last updated: May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

State-level employment totals and local-area breakouts from BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025. Local areas can be metropolitan or nonmetropolitan.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. State wage figures are computed directly from BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Statewide figures are estimates and may not reflect pay in your specific local wage area or employer.