Salaries · United States · Illinois
Salaries in Illinois 2026
The median pay for all jobs in Illinois is $51,960 a year ($24.98 an hour), 2% above the US median of $50,980 (BLS, May 2025): the 20th highest of the 50 states and DC. Full-time workers living in Illinois earn a median of $65,289 (Census ACS 2020 to 2024).
By Dominic Roworth · From BLS, Census and BEA data, checked 31 October 2026
Pay in Illinois: the key figures
| Figure | Illinois | United States | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median pay, all jobs | $51,960 | $50,980 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Average (mean) pay | $71,130 | $69,770 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Lowest-paid 10% earn under | $32,900 | $31,200 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Highest-paid 10% earn over | $127,770 | $128,560 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Jobs counted | 6,098,130 | 155,495,730 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Full-time workers living here, median | $65,289 ± $259 | $61,657 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B20018 |
| Median household income | $83,390 ± $362 | $80,734 | Census ACS 2020-2024, B19013 |
| Price level (US = 100) | 100.0 | 100.0 | BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 |
| Minimum wage | $15.00 | $7.25 | State labor department |
Take-home pay on the median
On $51,960, a single person keeps about $41,503 a year ($3,459 a month) after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, Illinois income tax. With prices 0% below the US average, $51,960 here buys what $52,000 buys at average US prices.
| Median pay | $51,960 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | -$4,055 |
| Social Security | -$3,222 |
| Medicare | -$753 |
| Illinois income tax | -$2,427 |
| Take-home a year | $41,503 |
What drives pay in Illinois
Illinois pays almost exactly the national rate, and its prices match. The all-jobs median is $51,960, 2% above the US and 20th of the 50 states and DC, and the state's BEA price level is 100.0, the US average. Behind that average sits a mix of well-paid office work and a large freight and factory economy.
Insurance carriers produced 6.2% of the state's GDP in 2025, twice the US share, and legal services 2.0% (US 1.4%), according to BEA. State Farm has about 13,000 associates in Bloomington and plans to bring them all onto its Corporate South campus there by the end of 2027, saying it has about double the office space it needs. Chief executives, 4,620 of them, earn a median of $331,920.
Goods move through Illinois too. Manufacturing is 11.3% of GDP (US 9.5%), with chemicals at 3.0% and machinery at 1.4%, both well above their US shares, and wholesale trade is 8.5% (US 6.3%). Hand laborers and freight, stock and material movers are the most common job in the state, 195,390 of them on a median of $40,550.
Growth has been slow. Real GDP rose 10.4% from 2019 to 2025, against 15.6% for the US, though 2025 alone was a closer 2.6% (US 2.3%). The Illinois Department of Employment Security reports that payroll jobs rose by just 13,800 (0.2%) in the year to September 2026, with financial activities losing 13,500 jobs while construction added 14,300. Unemployment was 4.6%, above the US rate of 4.2%, and the labor force was 1.3% smaller than a year earlier.
The highest-paid jobs in Illinois
Median annual pay, for jobs with at least 1,000 workers in the state (BLS, May 2025).
| Job | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 4,620 | $331,920 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 6,460 | $293,490 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 1,140 | $286,830 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,960 | $245,120 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 1,290 | $208,000 |
| Pediatricians, General | 1,180 | $196,760 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 31,680 | $171,730 |
| Financial Managers | 52,720 | $165,880 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 8,900 | $163,610 |
| Marketing Managers | 21,140 | $162,860 |
| Lawyers | 33,590 | $160,800 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,810 | $159,670 |
| Dentists, General | 6,940 | $156,110 |
| Sales Managers | 32,240 | $155,280 |
| Purchasing Managers | 4,160 | $153,370 |
The most common jobs in Illinois
The jobs with the most workers, and what they pay.
| Job | Workers | Median a year | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 93,760 | $37,810 | $18.18 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 84,200 | $60,320 | $29.00 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 76,460 | $44,140 | $21.22 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 74,280 | $48,310 | $23.23 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 72,900 | $31,200 | $15.00 |
Pay for careers we cover, in Illinois
Official BLS medians for Illinois; each links to the full salary guide with pay by state.
| Career | Workers | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,140 | $286,830 |
| Air Traffic Controller | 990 | $181,560 |
| Lawyer | 33,590 | $160,800 |
| Dentist | 6,940 | $156,110 |
| Pharmacist | 12,070 | $139,080 |
| Elevator Technician | 1,080 | $133,690 |
| Software Engineer | 56,310 | $132,110 |
| Physician Assistant | 3,790 | $131,950 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 9,270 | $130,680 |
| Commercial Pilot | 1,170 | $126,100 |
| Cybersecurity Analyst | 5,260 | $124,180 |
| Actuary | 2,280 | $115,430 |
| Aerospace Engineer | 200 | $108,940 |
| Data Scientist | 10,520 | $106,560 |
| Project Manager | 27,180 | $103,470 |
| Financial Analyst | 20,520 | $101,180 |
| Plumber | 16,750 | $99,950 |
| Electrician | 23,120 | $99,560 |
| Dental Hygienist | 8,970 | $96,670 |
| Registered Nurse | 138,910 | $95,990 |
| UX Designer | 2,050 | $85,710 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | 3,370 | $81,680 |
| Compliance Officer | 10,650 | $80,550 |
| Accountant | 54,930 | $80,230 |
| HVAC Technician | 9,740 | $77,410 |
| Paralegal | 14,130 | $63,670 |
| Flight Attendant | 9,350 | $62,120 |
| Welder | 16,260 | $51,320 |
Illinois and its neighbors
| State | Median pay | Price level | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $51,960 | 100.0 | $52,000 |
| Indiana | $47,860 | 93.3 | $51,300 |
| Iowa | $48,540 | 87.8 | $55,300 |
| Kentucky | $46,920 | 90.2 | $52,000 |
| Missouri | $47,800 | 90.8 | $52,600 |
| Wisconsin | $50,270 | 94.1 | $53,400 |
Limits
BLS figures cover jobs located in Illinois, not the self-employed; Census figures cover people who live here. Take-home assumes a single filer with the standard deduction. More in our methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state file)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024 (tables B20018 and B19013)
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state (table SARPP), 2024
- Take-home pay: Paygrade's 2026 federal and state tax engine, see the methodology.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis: GDP by state and industry, 2025 (industry shares and growth rates are our calculation), data last updated 30 Sep 2026
- State Farm Newsroom: A New Chapter for State Farm: Bringing Bloomington Teams Together at Corporate South, 19 Mar 2026
- Illinois Department of Employment Security news release: Unemployment Rate Down for Third Consecutive Month (September 2026 statewide employment numbers), 16 Oct 2026
Related
- Salary comparison by city: what a salary is worth in another US city
- Salaries in the United States