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What does a Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers salary really buy you in Illinois?
Illinois is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers earning $96,950 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $95,705 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) | $65,290 | $64,452 | $-837 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $74,390 | $73,435 | $-954 |
| Median (P50) | $96,950 | $95,705 | $-1,244 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $149,030 | $147,117 | $-1,912 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $177,670 | $175,389 | $-2,280 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $96,950 keeps most of its value at $95,705 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 101.3, Illinois is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living, $96,950 nominal nets out to $95,706 in real purchasing power — a small 1.3% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers.
Illinois sits at #16 of 50 states for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers COL-adjusted salary — comfortably above the national midpoint.
Where does Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #16 out of 50 states for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers in Illinois earns a median salary of $96,950 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $95,705 — 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 Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers in Illinois: $96,950 x (100 / 101.3) = $95,705. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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