Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Nuclear Technicians 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 Nuclear Technicians earning $110,390 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $108,973 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) | $65,750 | $64,906 | $-843 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $80,800 | $79,763 | $-1,036 |
| Median (P50) | $110,390 | $108,973 | $-1,416 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $124,470 | $122,872 | $-1,597 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $125,360 | $123,751 | $-1,608 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $110,390 keeps most of its value at $108,973 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 Nuclear Technicians 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, $110,390 nominal nets out to $108,973 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 Nuclear Technicians.
Illinois's rank of #9 of 14 states means real purchasing power for Nuclear Technicians trails the national half-way line.
Where does Nuclear Technicians salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #9 out of 14 states for Nuclear Technicians after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Nuclear Technicians take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Nuclear Technicians in Illinois earns a median salary of $110,390 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $108,973 — 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 Nuclear Technicians in Illinois: $110,390 x (100 / 101.3) = $108,973. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.