High paying jobs in Rockford, IL

Every occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Rockford, IL. The percentile range matters more than the median on its own: it shows what the bottom and top of each field actually earn, which a single average hides.

Cost of living: prices in Rockford, IL run 7.8% below the national average (2024), so a Rockford, IL salary is worth about 1.09× 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 Rockford, IL

OccupationMedian, Rockford, IL · Employed

1Physicians, All Other$323,660
Doctoral or professional degree
$71,010 – $465,450410
2Chief Executives$323,030
Bachelor's degree
$127,000 – $601,76090
3Dentists, General$214,670
Doctoral or professional degree
$115,610 – $309,100130
4Family Medicine Physicians$168,210
Doctoral or professional degree
$64,960 – $310,27060
5Architectural and Engineering Managers$146,930
Bachelor's degree
$104,750 – $208,570250
6Computer and Information Systems Managers$146,600
Bachelor's degree
$97,670 – $221,600250
7Financial Managers$135,650
Bachelor's degree
$88,410 – $267,320590
8Pharmacists$134,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$105,060 – $163,400300
9Sales Managers$133,560
Bachelor's degree
$68,720 – $234,190510
10Veterinarians$132,720
Doctoral or professional degree
$62,890 – $378,36050
11Managers, All Other$127,870
Bachelor's degree
$73,290 – $203,300320
12Physician Assistants$127,800
Master's degree
$106,480 – $158,27060
13Nurse Practitioners$127,720
Master's degree
$98,420 – $149,490240
14Purchasing Managers$126,970
Bachelor's degree
$82,720 – $218,51090
15Marketing Managers$124,440
Bachelor's degree
$70,010 – $209,980170
16Human Resources Managers$123,090
Bachelor's degree
$79,830 – $203,340200
17Medical and Health Services Managers$121,920
Bachelor's degree
$76,140 – $200,600540
18Industrial Production Managers$120,800
Bachelor's degree
$80,720 – $174,580460
19Information Security Analysts$119,400
Bachelor's degree
$78,450 – $163,54090
20Electrical Engineers$112,350
Bachelor's degree
$75,290 – $136,030180
21Personal Financial Advisors$110,850
Bachelor's degree
$53,100 – $339,96090
22Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$109,710
High school diploma or equivalent
$73,100 – $184,570210
23Software Developers$107,640
Bachelor's degree
$69,020 – $165,040380
24Construction Managers$106,870
Bachelor's degree
$64,170 – $156,880320
25Detectives and Criminal Investigators$104,150
High school diploma or equivalent
$55,190 – $157,060130
26Lawyers$103,190
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,720 – $225,630340
27First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$102,140
High school diploma or equivalent
$58,580 – $126,620490
28Physical Therapists$101,340
Doctoral or professional degree
$75,950 – $127,810190
29Labor Relations Specialists$100,480
Bachelor's degree
$63,260 – $136,10050
30Structural Iron and Steel Workers$100,290
High school diploma or equivalent
$60,200 – $114,730190
31Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$99,980
Master's degree
$57,600 – $127,030440
32Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products$99,810
Bachelor's degree
$54,940 – $138,42060
33Mechanical Engineers$99,150
Bachelor's degree
$70,750 – $141,620640
34Facilities Managers$98,580
Bachelor's degree
$57,860 – $142,390210
35General and Operations Managers$98,390
Bachelor's degree
$50,640 – $210,9403,340
36Computer Network Architects$97,540
Bachelor's degree
$65,830 – $169,44090
37Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$97,250
High school diploma or equivalent
$57,670 – $117,050260
38First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$96,910
High school diploma or equivalent
$86,140 – $136,86070
39Speech-Language Pathologists$96,740
Master's degree
$64,330 – $106,460190
40Occupational Therapists$96,620
Master's degree
$65,170 – $125,330130
41Management Analysts$96,430
Bachelor's degree
$61,820 – $175,610210
42Financial and Investment Analysts$96,160
Bachelor's degree
$66,110 – $139,970170
43Computer Systems Analysts$95,430
Bachelor's degree
$65,370 – $127,100210
44Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$95,020
Associate's degree
$78,190 – $109,130110
45Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$94,860
Associate's degree
$64,330 – $121,670100
46Civil Engineers$94,850
Bachelor's degree
$58,160 – $138,910160
47Project Management Specialists$94,690
Bachelor's degree
$61,200 – $144,060390
48Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$94,450
Bachelor's degree
$57,800 – $129,40060
49Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$94,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$50,930 – $120,140440
50Industrial Engineers$93,980
Bachelor's degree
$69,020 – $132,710860

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

#	Occupation	MedianRockford, IL	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$323,660	$71,010 – $465,450	410
2	Chief ExecutivesBachelor's degree	$323,030	$127,000 – $601,760	90
3	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$214,670	$115,610 – $309,100	130
4	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$168,210	$64,960 – $310,270	60
5	Architectural and Engineering ManagersBachelor's degree	$146,930	$104,750 – $208,570	250
6	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$146,600	$97,670 – $221,600	250
7	Financial ManagersBachelor's degree	$135,650	$88,410 – $267,320	590
8	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$134,190	$105,060 – $163,400	300
9	Sales ManagersBachelor's degree	$133,560	$68,720 – $234,190	510
10	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$132,720	$62,890 – $378,360	50
11	Managers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$127,870	$73,290 – $203,300	320
12	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$127,800	$106,480 – $158,270	60
13	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$127,720	$98,420 – $149,490	240
14	Purchasing ManagersBachelor's degree	$126,970	$82,720 – $218,510	90
15	Marketing ManagersBachelor's degree	$124,440	$70,010 – $209,980	170
16	Human Resources ManagersBachelor's degree	$123,090	$79,830 – $203,340	200
17	Medical and Health Services ManagersBachelor's degree	$121,920	$76,140 – $200,600	540
18	Industrial Production ManagersBachelor's degree	$120,800	$80,720 – $174,580	460
19	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$119,400	$78,450 – $163,540	90
20	Electrical EngineersBachelor's degree	$112,350	$75,290 – $136,030	180
21	Personal Financial AdvisorsBachelor's degree	$110,850	$53,100 – $339,960	90
22	Transportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$109,710	$73,100 – $184,570	210
23	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$107,640	$69,020 – $165,040	380
24	Construction ManagersBachelor's degree	$106,870	$64,170 – $156,880	320
25	Detectives and Criminal InvestigatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$104,150	$55,190 – $157,060	130
26	LawyersDoctoral or professional degree	$103,190	$73,720 – $225,630	340
27	First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$102,140	$58,580 – $126,620	490
28	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$101,340	$75,950 – $127,810	190
29	Labor Relations SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$100,480	$63,260 – $136,100	50
30	Structural Iron and Steel WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$100,290	$60,200 – $114,730	190
31	Education Administrators, Kindergarten through SecondaryMaster's degree	$99,980	$57,600 – $127,030	440
32	Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific ProductsBachelor's degree	$99,810	$54,940 – $138,420	60
33	Mechanical EngineersBachelor's degree	$99,150	$70,750 – $141,620	640
34	Facilities ManagersBachelor's degree	$98,580	$57,860 – $142,390	210
35	General and Operations ManagersBachelor's degree	$98,390	$50,640 – $210,940	3,340
36	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$97,540	$65,830 – $169,440	90
37	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$97,250	$57,670 – $117,050	260
38	First-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesHigh school diploma or equivalent	$96,910	$86,140 – $136,860	70
39	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$96,740	$64,330 – $106,460	190
40	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$96,620	$65,170 – $125,330	130
41	Management AnalystsBachelor's degree	$96,430	$61,820 – $175,610	210
42	Financial and Investment AnalystsBachelor's degree	$96,160	$66,110 – $139,970	170
43	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$95,430	$65,370 – $127,100	210
44	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$95,020	$78,190 – $109,130	110
45	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$94,860	$64,330 – $121,670	100
46	Civil EngineersBachelor's degree	$94,850	$58,160 – $138,910	160
47	Project Management SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$94,690	$61,200 – $144,060	390
48	Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsBachelor's degree	$94,450	$57,800 – $129,400	60
49	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$94,230	$50,930 – $120,140	440
50	Industrial EngineersBachelor's degree	$93,980	$69,020 – $132,710	860

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Rockford, 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 Rockford, IL to rank honestly.

High paying jobs in Rockford, IL

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