Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Physicists 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 Physicists earning $137,140 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $135,380 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) | $81,830 | $80,779 | $-1,050 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $82,110 | $81,056 | $-1,053 |
| Median (P50) | $137,140 | $135,380 | $-1,759 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $175,510 | $173,257 | $-2,252 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $221,380 | $218,538 | $-2,841 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $137,140 keeps most of its value at $135,380 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 Physicists 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, $137,140 nominal nets out to $135,380 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 Physicists.
Illinois's rank of #32 of 43 states means real purchasing power for Physicists trails the national half-way line.
Where does Physicists salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #32 out of 43 states for Physicists after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Physicists take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Physicists in Illinois earns a median salary of $137,140 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $135,380 — 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 Physicists in Illinois: $137,140 x (100 / 101.3) = $135,380. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.