High paying entry level jobs in Champaign-Urbana, IL

These occupations in Champaign-Urbana, IL ask for no prior experience in a related job and no on-the-job training period: you are expected to be productive on arrival. That is precisely why most of them want a specific qualification instead — the credential does the work the experience would have. Read the line under each title for what that qualification is; several here are doctorates. If you need something you can start without one, use the no-experience list.

Cost of living: prices in Champaign-Urbana, IL run 7.3% below the national average (2024), so a Champaign-Urbana, IL salary is worth about 1.08× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find high paying jobs in Champaign-Urbana, IL

OccupationMedian, Champaign-Urbana, IL · Employed

1Dentists, General$174,010
Doctoral or professional degree
$116,790 – $313,81080
2Physician Assistants$139,950
Master's degree
$107,370 – $159,070120
3Pharmacists$139,270
Doctoral or professional degree
$90,200 – $174,930220
4Nurse Practitioners$137,100
Master's degree
$104,700 – $160,070420
5Lawyers$129,990
Doctoral or professional degree
$76,630 – $303,410250
6Database Administrators$114,630
Bachelor's degree
$65,910 – $144,11050
7Veterinarians$106,520
Doctoral or professional degree
$52,140 – $166,60080
8Software Developers$106,080
Bachelor's degree
$70,110 – $169,310670
9Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other$102,110
Bachelor's degree
$74,530 – $141,36040
10Mechanical Engineers$101,090
Bachelor's degree
$65,870 – $142,400150
11Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$100,420
Associate's degree
$76,710 – $120,340100
12Civil Engineers$98,910
Bachelor's degree
$65,530 – $162,460230
13Physical Therapists$97,840
Doctoral or professional degree
$76,530 – $127,010140
14Electrical Engineers$95,790
Bachelor's degree
$71,560 – $161,890110
15Computer and Information Research Scientists$94,700
Master's degree
$52,100 – $144,84050
16Data Scientists$91,760
Bachelor's degree
$67,240 – $134,920140
17Project Management Specialists$90,770
Bachelor's degree
$61,580 – $145,380310
18Registered Nurses$90,230
Bachelor's degree
$76,510 – $121,7503,520
19Computer Programmers$89,380
Bachelor's degree
$67,940 – $133,340110
20Computer Systems Analysts$86,690
Bachelor's degree
$61,990 – $118,130320
21Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$86,130
Bachelor's degree
$61,480 – $124,84080
22Web Developers$85,880
Bachelor's degree
$55,060 – $108,64070
23Network and Computer Systems Administrators$85,080
Bachelor's degree
$61,020 – $110,370180
24Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists$85,030
Doctoral or professional degree
$58,180 – $144,84060
25Financial and Investment Analysts$84,330
Bachelor's degree
$59,680 – $118,250190
26Engineers, All Other$83,230
Bachelor's degree
$48,550 – $184,310110
27Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$82,750
Bachelor's degree
$53,100 – $129,42070
28Industrial Engineers$82,390
Bachelor's degree
$57,440 – $129,720200
29Urban and Regional Planners$81,840
Master's degree
$55,300 – $131,90050
30Dental Hygienists$81,110
Associate's degree
$75,370 – $98,570170
31Occupational Therapists$80,040
Master's degree
$55,180 – $126,110120
32Credit Analysts$78,860
Bachelor's degree
$50,550 – $106,15040
33Computer Occupations, All Other$78,100
Bachelor's degree
$47,190 – $142,930130
34Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$76,750
Associate's degree
$48,880 – $102,11060
35Business Operations Specialists, All Other$76,260
Bachelor's degree
$37,440 – $127,470360
36Respiratory Therapists$74,660
Associate's degree
$62,170 – $100,810120
37Surgical Assistants$74,490
Postsecondary nondegree award
$59,640 – $102,41040
38Financial Specialists, All Other$71,010
Bachelor's degree
$32,710 – $101,18050
39Biological Scientists, All Other$70,870
Bachelor's degree
$44,990 – $161,890140
40Accountants and Auditors$69,670
Bachelor's degree
$52,030 – $109,610730
41Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$68,910
Master's degree
$47,810 – $94,450160
42Human Resources Specialists$67,360
Bachelor's degree
$48,770 – $101,050540
43Chemists$67,310
Bachelor's degree
$51,480 – $133,56080
44Public Relations Specialists$67,130
Bachelor's degree
$53,420 – $93,330200
45Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$66,760
Associate's degree
$59,680 – $99,980210
46Microbiologists$66,560
Bachelor's degree
$55,500 – $86,96060
47Coaches and Scouts$66,150
Bachelor's degree
$33,170 – $629,710230
48Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$65,840
Bachelor's degree
$40,270 – $104,510380
49Legal Support Workers, All Other$65,490
Associate's degree
$36,510 – $95,61050
50Athletic Trainers$65,400
Master's degree
$44,570 – $88,76040

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianChampaign-Urbana, IL	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$174,010	$116,790 – $313,810	80
2	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$139,950	$107,370 – $159,070	120
3	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$139,270	$90,200 – $174,930	220
4	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$137,100	$104,700 – $160,070	420
5	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$129,990	$76,630 – $303,410	250
6	Database AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$114,630	$65,910 – $144,110	50
7	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$106,520	$52,140 – $166,600	80
8	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$106,080	$70,110 – $169,310	670
9	Social Scientists and Related Workers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$102,110	$74,530 – $141,360	40
10	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$101,090	$65,870 – $142,400	150
11	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$100,420	$76,710 – $120,340	100
12	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$98,910	$65,530 – $162,460	230
13	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$97,840	$76,530 – $127,010	140
14	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$95,790	$71,560 – $161,890	110
15	Computer and Information Research ScientistsMaster's degree	$94,700	$52,100 – $144,840	50
16	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$91,760	$67,240 – $134,920	140
17	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$90,770	$61,580 – $145,380	310
18	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$90,230	$76,510 – $121,750	3,520
19	Computer ProgrammersBachelor's degree	$89,380	$67,940 – $133,340	110
20	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$86,690	$61,990 – $118,130	320
21	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$86,130	$61,480 – $124,840	80
22	Web DevelopersBachelor's degree	$85,880	$55,060 – $108,640	70
23	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$85,080	$61,020 – $110,370	180
24	Medical Scientists, Except EpidemiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$85,030	$58,180 – $144,840	60
25	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$84,330	$59,680 – $118,250	190
26	Engineers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$83,230	$48,550 – $184,310	110
27	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$82,750	$53,100 – $129,420	70
28	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$82,390	$57,440 – $129,720	200
29	Urban and Regional PlannersMaster's degree	$81,840	$55,300 – $131,900	50
30	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$81,110	$75,370 – $98,570	170
31	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$80,040	$55,180 – $126,110	120
32	Credit AnalystsBachelor's degree	$78,860	$50,550 – $106,150	40
33	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$78,100	$47,190 – $142,930	130
34	Civil Engineering Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$76,750	$48,880 – $102,110	60
35	Business Operations Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$76,260	$37,440 – $127,470	360
36	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$74,660	$62,170 – $100,810	120
37	Surgical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$74,490	$59,640 – $102,410	40
38	Financial Specialists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$71,010	$32,710 – $101,180	50
39	Biological Scientists, All OtherBachelor's degree	$70,870	$44,990 – $161,890	140
40	Accountants and AuditorsBachelor's degree	$69,670	$52,030 – $109,610	730
41	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$68,910	$47,810 – $94,450	160
42	Human Resources SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$67,360	$48,770 – $101,050	540
43	ChemistsBachelor's degree	$67,310	$51,480 – $133,560	80
44	Public Relations SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$67,130	$53,420 – $93,330	200
45	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$66,760	$59,680 – $99,980	210
46	MicrobiologistsBachelor's degree	$66,560	$55,500 – $86,960	60
47	Coaches and ScoutsBachelor's degree	$66,150	$33,170 – $629,710	230
48	Market Research Analysts and Marketing SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$65,840	$40,270 – $104,510	380
49	Legal Support Workers, All OtherAssociate's degree	$65,490	$36,510 – $95,610	50
50	Athletic TrainersMaster's degree	$65,400	$44,570 – $88,760	40

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Champaign-Urbana, IL. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

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The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Champaign-Urbana, IL to rank honestly.

High paying entry level jobs in Champaign-Urbana, IL

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