Ranking · original analysis of BLS and O*NET data
Highest-paying jobs in Illinois
The 40 best-paid occupations in Illinois with at least 100 people employed, by state median wage.
Quick answer
The highest-paying occupation in Illinois with at least 100 people employed was Cardiologist, with a state median of $517,850 (BLS May 2025).
The ranking
40 occupations
Data Every figure is from BLS OEWS May 2025 or O*NET 31.0; the selection rule is below.
| # | Occupation | Median pay in Illinois | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologist | $517,850 | 340 |
| 2 | Surgeons, All Other | $438,010 | 620 |
| 3 | Orthopedic Surgeon | $426,580 | 170 |
| 4 | CEO | $331,920 | 4,620 |
| 5 | Airline Pilot | $293,490 | 6,460 |
| 6 | CRNA | $286,830 | 1,140 |
| 7 | Ophthalmologist | $284,630 | 620 |
| 8 | Psychiatrist | $258,740 | 870 |
| 9 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $250,880 | 230 |
| 10 | Family Medicine Physician | $245,120 | 1,960 |
| 11 | Neurologist | $237,080 | 240 |
| 12 | OB-GYN | $208,000 | 1,290 |
| 13 | Pediatrician | $196,760 | 1,180 |
| 14 | Air Traffic Controller | $181,560 | 990 |
| 15 | IT Manager | $171,730 | 31,680 |
| 16 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $167,330 | 160 |
| 17 | Financial Manager | $165,880 | 52,720 |
| 18 | Medical Dosimetrist | $163,860 | 140 |
| 19 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $163,610 | 8,900 |
| 20 | Marketing Manager | $162,860 | 21,140 |
| 21 | Lawyer | $160,800 | 33,590 |
| 22 | Natural Sciences Managers | $159,670 | 2,810 |
| 23 | Dentist | $156,110 | 6,940 |
| 24 | Sales Manager | $155,280 | 32,240 |
| 25 | Purchasing Manager | $153,370 | 4,160 |
| 26 | Compensation and Benefits Managers | $151,730 | 780 |
| 27 | HR Manager | $151,370 | 13,520 |
| 28 | Optometrist | $145,620 | 1,540 |
| 29 | Database Architect | $142,500 | 1,590 |
| 30 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $140,680 | 1,130 |
| 31 | Managers, All Other | $140,240 | 31,680 |
| 32 | Pharmacist | $139,080 | 12,070 |
| 33 | Physicist | $137,140 | 1,590 |
| 34 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | $136,540 | 630 |
| 35 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $135,430 | 1,040 |
| 36 | First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $135,080 | 4,900 |
| 37 | Nuclear Engineer | $134,510 | 1,040 |
| 38 | Elevator Mechanic | $133,690 | 1,080 |
| 39 | Veterinarian | $133,580 | 2,330 |
| 40 | Computer Hardware Engineer | $133,220 | 1,420 |
Method
How this page is built
BLS OEWS state estimates for Illinois, May 2025: occupations with at least 100 people employed and a published median, ranked by median annual wage.
What this page can't tell you
Sources- Pay at a specific employer or for self-employed workers.
- Openings in your area: these are national figures.
- Whether a job suits you personally.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.