Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
The highest paying job in Illinois is Cardiologists, with a median salary of $517,850 per year. Below is the complete ranking of the top 25 careers in IL based on 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025
See how Illinois compares to other states. Click any state for its top-paying jobs.
Ranked by median annual salary. Click any job to see the full salary breakdown including percentile data and state-by-state comparisons.
| Rank | Occupation | Median Salary | Mean Salary | Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cardiologists | $517,850 | $484,120 | 340 |
| 2 | Dermatologists | $435,750 | $367,430 | N/A |
| 3 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $426,580 | $409,500 | 170 |
| 4 | Physicians, Pathologists | $381,770 | $381,560 | N/A |
| 5 | Orthodontists | $343,100 | $335,910 | N/A |
| 6 | Chief Executives | $331,920 | $347,550 | 4,620 |
| 7 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $293,490 | $316,140 | 6,460 |
| 8 | Nurse Anesthetists | $286,830 | $251,600 | 1,140 |
| 9 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $284,630 | $260,500 | 620 |
| 10 | Psychiatrists | $258,740 | $269,000 | 870 |
| 11 | Family Medicine Physicians | $245,120 | $229,370 | 1,960 |
| 12 | Neurologists | $237,080 | $258,020 | 240 |
| 13 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $208,000 | $244,730 | 1,290 |
| 14 | Pediatricians, General | $196,760 | $225,740 | 1,180 |
| 15 | Air Traffic Controllers | $181,560 | $164,200 | 990 |
| 16 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $171,730 | $179,190 | 31,680 |
| 17 | Podiatrists | $167,400 | $176,140 | N/A |
| 18 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $167,330 | $163,850 | 160 |
| 19 | Financial Managers | $165,880 | $183,920 | 52,720 |
| 20 | Medical Dosimetrists | $163,860 | $158,200 | 140 |
| 21 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $163,610 | $170,480 | 8,900 |
| 22 | Marketing Managers | $162,860 | $170,370 | 21,140 |
| 23 | Arbitrators, Mediators, and Conciliators | $162,410 | $131,290 | 80 |
| 24 | Lawyers | $160,800 | $181,240 | 33,590 |
| 25 | Natural Sciences Managers | $159,670 | $167,700 | 2,810 |
The top-paying careers in Illinois are concentrated in Healthcare Practitioners fields. The #1 job, Cardiologists, pays $439,133 more than the state average of $78,716 per year.
At the 90th percentile, experienced Cardiologists professionals in IL can earn up to $749,550 annually — making it one of the most lucrative career paths in the state.
Among the top 25, the minimum median salary is $159,670, meaning all jobs on this list pay significantly above the national average.
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See how Illinois's top salaries compare to other states.
Rankings are based on median annual salary from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 estimates. We use median rather than mean salary because it better represents typical earnings and is less affected by outliers.
Only occupations with state-level data published by BLS are included. Some specialized or rare occupations may not have data for every state. For full methodology details, see our Methodology page.