Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $79,990 | $74,587 | +7% |
| Median hourly wage | $38.46 | $35.86 | +7% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $79,990.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a High School Teacher in Illinois is $79,990, or about $38.46 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for High School Teachers is $74,587. Illinois is +7% above the national median.
Entry-level high school teachers in Illinois typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 44,670 high school teacher jobs on record and a median salary of $79,990, Illinois offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, high school teachers rank 228 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 69% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary at $135,430, Economics Teachers, Postsecondary at $124,850, Law Teachers, Postsecondary at $107,700 — all figures are median annual wages for Illinois.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Illinois levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, high school teachers rank 228 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 69% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Illinois | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | $135,430 | $1,040 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | $124,850 | $460 |
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $107,700 | $470 |
| Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | $105,440 | $340 |
| Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary | $104,580 | $230 |
| Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary | $104,440 | $170 |
Illinois levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 747 occupations in Illinois.