Highest-paying jobs in Illinois
The highest published median in Illinois is for cardiologists, at $517,850 a year. For 2 more occupations, BLS reports the median only as “$239,200 or more”; they are listed below the table. The median for all occupations in the state is $51,960, against $50,980 nationally.
Illinois · all occupationsMay 2025
- Median / yr
- $51,960
- Mean / yr
- $71,130
- Price level (U.S.=100)
- 100.0
- Median, price-adjusted
- $51,982
- Adjusted rank
- 29 of 51
- Jobs
- 6,098,130
Price-adjusted = median ÷ (BEA 2024 regional price parity ÷ 100). Compare all states.
The 50 best-paid occupations in Illinois
IL · Src BLS-OEWS · May 2025Top 50 of 745
| No. | Occupation | Median in IL | U.S. median | Employed in IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $517,850 | $496,010 | 340 |
| 2 | Surgeons, All Other | $438,010 | $414,010 | 620 |
| 3 | Dermatologists | $435,750 | $328,730 | — |
| 4 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $426,580 | $358,550 | 170 |
| 5 | Physicians, Pathologists | $381,770 | $312,400 | — |
| 6 | Orthodontists | $343,100 | $289,140 | — |
| 7 | Chief Executives | $331,920 | $213,990 | 4,620 |
| 8 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $293,490 | $232,140 | 6,460 |
| 9 | Nurse Anesthetists | $286,830 | $236,590 | 1,140 |
| 10 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $284,630 | $300,080 | 620 |
| 11 | Psychiatrists | $258,740 | $281,870 | 870 |
| 12 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $250,880 | $224,990 | 230 |
| 13 | Family Medicine Physicians | $245,120 | $244,180 | 1,960 |
| 14 | Neurologists | $237,080 | $248,560 | 240 |
| 15 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $208,000 | $292,910 | 1,290 |
| 16 | Pediatricians, General | $196,760 | $210,040 | 1,180 |
| 17 | Air Traffic Controllers | $181,560 | $148,080 | 990 |
| 18 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,730 | $175,140 | 31,680 |
| 19 | Podiatrists | $167,400 | $160,300 | — |
| 20 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $167,330 | $133,660 | 160 |
| 21 | Financial Managers | $165,880 | $166,570 | 52,720 |
| 22 | Medical Dosimetrists | $163,860 | $147,470 | 140 |
| 23 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $163,610 | $171,270 | 8,900 |
| 24 | Marketing Managers | $162,860 | $166,790 | 21,140 |
| 25 | Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $162,410 | $75,530 | 80 |
| 26 | Lawyers | $160,800 | $159,670 | 33,590 |
| 27 | Natural Sciences Managers | $159,670 | $167,220 | 2,810 |
| 28 | Dentists, General | $156,110 | $170,950 | 6,940 |
| 29 | Sales Managers | $155,280 | $148,270 | 32,240 |
| 30 | Purchasing Managers | $153,370 | $148,080 | 4,160 |
| 31 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $151,730 | $149,230 | 780 |
| 32 | Human Resources Managers | $151,370 | $149,280 | 13,520 |
| 33 | Optometrists | $145,620 | $136,570 | 1,540 |
| 34 | Database Architects | $142,500 | $139,500 | 1,590 |
| 35 | Sociologists | $140,770 | $106,030 | — |
| 36 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $140,680 | $256,560 | 1,130 |
| 37 | Managers, All Other | $140,240 | $141,900 | 31,680 |
| 38 | Pharmacists | $139,080 | $140,910 | 12,070 |
| 39 | Physicists | $137,140 | $172,250 | 1,590 |
| 40 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $136,540 | $140,300 | 630 |
| 41 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $135,430 | $109,270 | 1,040 |
| 42 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $135,080 | $106,040 | 4,900 |
| 43 | Nuclear Engineers | $134,510 | $133,970 | 1,040 |
| 44 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $133,690 | $109,910 | 1,080 |
| 45 | Veterinarians | $133,580 | $130,100 | 2,330 |
| 46 | Computer Hardware Engineers | $133,220 | $161,740 | 1,420 |
| 47 | Computer Network Architects | $132,790 | $134,050 | 7,810 |
| 48 | Physicians, All Other | $132,540 | $265,930 | 20,790 |
| 49 | Software Developers | $132,110 | $135,980 | 56,310 |
| 50 | Public Relations Managers | $131,990 | $146,910 | 2,770 |
Median reported only as “$239,200 or more” in Illinois: Radiologists, Emergency Medicine Physicians. The exact figures are not published, so these are not ranked.
Dashes mean the employment estimate was not published.
Best-paid occupations with at least 1,000 jobs in Illinois
- Chief Executives — $331,920 (4,620 jobs)
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — $293,490 (6,460 jobs)
- Nurse Anesthetists — $286,830 (1,140 jobs)
- Family Medicine Physicians — $245,120 (1,960 jobs)
- Obstetricians and Gynecologists — $208,000 (1,290 jobs)
- Pediatricians, General — $196,760 (1,180 jobs)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers — $171,730 (31,680 jobs)
- Financial Managers — $165,880 (52,720 jobs)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers — $163,610 (8,900 jobs)
- Marketing Managers — $162,860 (21,140 jobs)
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state file.
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state, 2024.