Average Salary in Illinois
What workers in Illinois earn: mean and median wages, monthly and hourly pay, the full wage distribution, household income and cost-of-living context. Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Mean annual wage$71,130Rank #16 of 51 · US $69,770
- Median annual wage$51,960Rank #20 of 51 · US $50,980
- Mean hourly wage$34.20Median $24.98/hour
- Median monthly pay$4,330Mean $5,928/month
- Median household income$83,211ACS 2024 · rank #19
- Price level (RPP)100.0US = 100 · BEA 2024
What is the average salary in Illinois?
The average (mean) annual wage across all occupations in Illinois is $71,130, and the median annual wage is $51,960, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2025 OEWS estimates. The mean is 1.9% above the national mean of $69,770; the median is 1.9% above the national median of $50,980. Illinois ranks #16 of the 50 states and DC for mean wage and #20 for median wage.
The mean is $19,170 (37%) higher than the median. That gap is normal: a minority of very high earners pulls the average up, so the median is the better guide to what a typical worker in Illinois earns. Why mean and median differ →
The estimates cover 6,098,130 wage and salary jobs in Illinois (self-employed workers are not included).
Monthly, weekly and hourly pay in Illinois
Gross pay before taxes. Monthly = annual ÷ 12, bi-weekly = annual ÷ 26, weekly = annual ÷ 52. Hourly figures are published by BLS.
| Pay period | Mean (average) | Median (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual | $71,130 | $51,960 |
| Monthly | $5,928 | $4,330 |
| Bi-weekly paycheck | $2,736 | $1,998 |
| Weekly | $1,368 | $999 |
| Hourly | $34.20 | $24.98 |
Estimate take-home pay on the Illinois median wage (2026 tax year) →
What is a good salary in Illinois?
“Good” depends on your household and where in the state you live, but the wage distribution shows where a salary stands relative to other workers in Illinois:
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $32,900 | $2,742 | 90% of workers earn more |
| 25th | $37,960 | $3,163 | 75% earn more |
| 50th (median) | $51,960 | $4,330 | half earn more, half less |
| 75th | $83,060 | $6,922 | top 25% earn more than this |
| 90th | $127,770 | $10,648 | top 10% earn more than this |
In practice, a salary above $51,960 beats more than half of Illinois workers, about $83,060 puts you in the top quarter, and $127,770 or more puts you in the top 10%. These are individual wages, not household income. Compare percentiles across states →
Household income and earnings in Illinois
| Measure (ACS 2024) | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $83,211 | $81,604 |
| Median family income | $106,800 | $101,265 |
| Per-capita income | $46,937 | $45,256 |
| Median earnings, all workers with earnings | $49,650 | $46,949 |
| Median earnings, men working full-time year-round | $71,395 | $66,965 |
| Median earnings, women working full-time year-round | $59,502 | $55,678 |
Household income adds up the income of everyone in a household — often two earners, plus Social Security, investment and self-employment income — so it is higher than any per-worker wage figure. Women working full-time year-round in Illinois have median earnings equal to 83% of men’s. Household income in every state →
Salary vs. cost of living in Illinois
Prices in Illinois are at the national average (BEA regional price parity 100.0; housing 93.9). Adjusted for that, the median wage of $51,960 is worth $51,960 at national-average prices (rank #29), and the mean wage is worth $71,130 (rank #14). Cost-of-living adjusted ranking →
Illinois taxes wage income, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures above by federal tax, FICA and state income tax.
Illinois vs. neighboring states
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | RPP | Adjusted median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $71,130 | $51,960 | 100.0 | $51,960 |
| Indiana | $60,840 | $47,860 | 93.3 | $51,297 |
| Iowa | $59,830 | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,285 |
| Kentucky | $58,990 | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,018 |
| Missouri | $62,160 | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,643 |
| Wisconsin | $64,270 | $50,270 | 94.1 | $53,422 |
Highest-paying occupations in Illinois
Detailed occupations with at least 300 jobs in the state, ranked by mean annual wage. “$239,200+” means BLS reports only that the wage is at or above that level.
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | $239,200+ | $239,200+ | 1,220 |
| Cardiologists | $484,120 | $517,850 | 340 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $372,060 | $438,010 | 620 |
| Chief Executives | $347,550 | $331,920 | 4,620 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $316,140 | $293,490 | 6,460 |
| Psychiatrists | $269,000 | $258,740 | 870 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $260,500 | $284,630 | 620 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $251,600 | $286,830 | 1,140 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $244,730 | $208,000 | 1,290 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $229,370 | $245,120 | 1,960 |
Most common jobs in Illinois and what they pay
| Occupation | Employment | Median wage | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 195,390 | $40,550 | $19.50 |
| General and Operations Managers | 171,300 | $103,570 | $49.80 |
| Cashiers | 139,630 | $34,490 | $16.58 |
| Registered Nurses | 138,910 | $95,990 | $46.15 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 134,100 | $38,060 | $18.30 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 127,590 | $33,910 | $16.30 |
| Retail Salespersons | 126,610 | $35,370 | $17.00 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 109,240 | $37,680 | $18.11 |
| Customer Service Representatives | 100,970 | $46,130 | $22.18 |
| Office Clerks, General | 95,980 | $45,730 | $21.99 |
The largest occupation in Illinois is laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand, with 195,390 jobs and a median wage of $40,550. Many of the most common jobs pay well below the state median, which is one reason the overall median sits far below the mean.
Salaries for 54 common occupations in Illinois
| Occupation | Mean wage | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physician | $229,370 | $245,120 | 1,960 |
| Financial Manager | $183,920 | $165,880 | 52,720 |
| Marketing Manager | $170,370 | $162,860 | 21,140 |
| Lawyer | $181,240 | $160,800 | 33,590 |
| Dentist (General) | $193,050 | $156,110 | 6,940 |
| Pharmacist | $138,070 | $139,080 | 12,070 |
| Software Developer | $136,540 | $132,110 | 56,310 |
| Physician Assistant | $131,880 | $131,950 | 3,790 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $130,940 | $130,680 | 9,270 |
| Information Security Analyst | $127,000 | $124,180 | 5,260 |
| Medical and Health Services Manager | $139,160 | $117,850 | 22,460 |
| Construction Manager | $117,010 | $109,160 | 19,160 |
| Electrical Engineer | $114,640 | $107,860 | 5,460 |
| Data Scientist | $117,870 | $106,560 | 10,520 |
| Physical Therapist | $109,080 | $105,250 | 9,800 |
| General and Operations Manager | $135,540 | $103,570 | 171,300 |
| Project Management Specialist | $111,230 | $103,470 | 27,180 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $111,380 | $102,680 | 11,790 |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $104,190 | $101,570 | 20,610 |
| Financial and Investment Analyst | $110,820 | $101,180 | 20,520 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $92,450 | $100,520 | 29,180 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrator | $105,450 | $100,080 | 9,820 |
| Plumber, Pipefitter and Steamfitter | $93,400 | $99,950 | 16,750 |
| Civil Engineer | $105,390 | $99,760 | 13,910 |
| Occupational Therapist | $99,570 | $99,700 | 7,710 |
| Electrician | $92,230 | $99,560 | 23,120 |
| Dental Hygienist | $91,820 | $96,670 | 8,970 |
| Registered Nurse | $94,360 | $95,990 | 138,910 |
| Speech-Language Pathologist | $92,660 | $95,080 | 9,040 |
| Web Developer | $95,460 | $84,820 | 4,310 |
| Accountant and Auditor | $88,910 | $80,230 | 54,930 |
| High School Teacher | $89,320 | $79,990 | 44,670 |
| Correctional Officer | $78,080 | $79,190 | 12,190 |
| Carpenter | $80,320 | $79,000 | 19,570 |
| Firefighter | $76,530 | $78,380 | 18,400 |
| HVAC Technician | $77,570 | $77,410 | 9,740 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $81,480 | $76,820 | 35,430 |
| Middle School Teacher | $75,870 | $76,110 | 24,770 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $74,630 | $75,320 | 61,520 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN) | $73,430 | $75,000 | 17,440 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $69,220 | $64,340 | 11,320 |
| Paralegal and Legal Assistant | $72,310 | $63,670 | 14,130 |
| Child, Family and School Social Worker | $70,670 | $63,220 | 19,860 |
| Construction Laborer | $67,620 | $60,690 | 35,940 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Driver | $62,430 | $60,320 | 84,200 |
| Welder | $55,930 | $51,320 | 16,260 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting and Auditing Clerk | $51,860 | $49,560 | 51,470 |
| Automotive Service Technician | $56,680 | $49,170 | 29,510 |
| Secretary and Administrative Assistant | $52,070 | $48,310 | 74,280 |
| Customer Service Representative | $48,950 | $46,130 | 100,970 |
| Medical Assistant | $45,770 | $46,090 | 20,260 |
| Nursing Assistant (CNA) | $45,230 | $45,960 | 68,640 |
| Retail Salesperson | $38,680 | $35,370 | 126,610 |
| Cashier | $34,950 | $34,490 | 139,630 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Illinois?
The average (mean) annual wage in Illinois is $71,130, or $34.20 per hour, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates. The median wage — what a typical worker earns — is $51,960 a year ($24.98 per hour).
What is the average monthly salary in Illinois?
Dividing the annual figures by 12, the mean wage in Illinois works out to about $5,928 per month and the median wage to about $4,330 per month, before taxes.
What is considered a good salary in Illinois?
Earning more than the median of $51,960 puts you above half of all workers in Illinois. A salary of $83,060 or more is in the top 25%, and $127,770 or more is in the top 10% of wage earners in the state.
What is the median household income in Illinois?
Median household income in Illinois was $83,211 in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey, compared with $81,604 nationally. Household income combines all earners and income sources in a home.
Does Illinois have a state income tax on wages?
Yes. Illinois taxes wage income, so state income tax is deducted from paychecks in addition to federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.