Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $59,220 | $55,733 | +6% |
| Median hourly wage | $28.47 | $26.79 | +6% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $59,220.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $59,451 | $36,750 | $126,000 | 107 |
The median annual salary for a Real Estate Agent in Illinois is $59,220, or about $28.47 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Real Estate Agents is $55,733. Illinois is +6% above the national median.
Entry-level real estate agents in Illinois typically earn from $36,750 depending on the city and employer.
With 6,030 real estate agent jobs on record and a median salary of $59,220, Illinois offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, real estate agents rank 435 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 42% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products at $107,570, Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents at $99,840, Sales Engineers at $99,710 — 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, real estate agents rank 435 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 42% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Illinois | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | $107,570 | $7,350 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $99,840 | $27,920 |
| Sales Engineers | $99,710 | $1,150 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers | $88,820 | $5,280 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $73,510 | $51,310 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $66,900 | $69,910 |
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.