What does a Economics Teachers, Postsecondary salary really buy you in Illinois?
Illinois is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Economics Teachers, Postsecondary earning $125,230 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $123,622 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $63,330 | $62,517 | $-812 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $99,560 | $98,282 | $-1,277 |
| Median (P50) | $125,230 | $123,622 | $-1,607 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $165,980 | $163,849 | $-2,130 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $202,830 | $200,227 | $-2,602 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $125,230 keeps most of its value at $123,622 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Economics Teachers, Postsecondary salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #10 out of 39 states for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary after cost-of-living adjustment.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
A Economics Teachers, Postsecondary in Illinois earns a median salary of $125,230 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $123,622 — a -1.3% difference.
Illinois's cost of living is 1.3% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Illinois is 101.3 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Economics Teachers, Postsecondary in Illinois: $125,230 x (100 / 101.3) = $123,622. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.