Kindergarten Teacher Salary in Illinois (2026)

Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.

Median Annual Salary$64,020
Median Hourly Wage$30.78
National Median$66,997
Jobs in Illinois4,660

Kindergarten Teacher Salary in Illinois vs. National Average

IllinoisNationalDifference
Median annual salary$64,020$66,997-4%
Median hourly wage$30.78$32.21-4%

Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $64,020.

Kindergarten Teacher Salary in Top Illinois Cities

CityMedianEntry LevelExperiencedCost of Living
City-level data coming soon.

FAQ

How much does a Kindergarten Teacher make in Illinois?

The median annual salary for a Kindergarten Teacher in Illinois is $64,020, or about $30.78 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.

How does this compare to the national average?

The national median for Kindergarten Teachers is $66,997. Illinois is -4% below the national median.

What is the entry-level salary for a Kindergarten Teacher in Illinois?

Entry-level kindergarten teachers in Illinois typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.

Is Illinois a good state for kindergarten teachers?

With 4,660 kindergarten teacher jobs on record and a median salary of $64,020, Illinois offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.

Where does Kindergarten Teacher pay rank in Illinois?

By median annual wage, kindergarten teachers rank 354 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 53% of them.

What do similar occupations pay in Illinois?

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.

Do these figures include taxes?

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).

Kindergarten Teacher in Illinois: where it sits among all occupations

By median annual wage, kindergarten teachers rank 354 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 53% of them.

Occupation in the same job familyMedian in IllinoisJobs
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.