Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $75,000 | $66,500 | +13% |
| Median hourly wage | $36.06 | $31.97 | +13% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $75,000.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Licensed Practical Nurse in Illinois is $75,000, or about $36.06 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Licensed Practical Nurses is $66,500. Illinois is +13% above the national median.
Entry-level licensed practical nurses in Illinois typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 17,440 licensed practical nurse jobs on record and a median salary of $75,000, Illinois offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, licensed practical nurses rank 284 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 62% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Cardiologists at $517,850, Surgeons, All Other at $438,010, Dermatologists at $435,750 — 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, licensed practical nurses rank 284 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 62% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Illinois | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiologists | $517,850 | $340 |
| Surgeons, All Other | $438,010 | $620 |
| Dermatologists | $435,750 | — |
| Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $426,580 | $170 |
| Physicians, Pathologists | $381,770 | — |
| Orthodontists | $343,100 | — |
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.