High paying medical jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single medical job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN run 3.6% above the national average (2024), so a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN salary is worth about 0.97× 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 medical jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

OccupationMedian, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · Employed

1Dentists, General$156,100
Doctoral or professional degree
$123,920 – $290,8505,910
2Veterinarians$148,730
Doctoral or professional degree
$80,770 – $289,3101,530
3Pharmacists$140,880
Doctoral or professional degree
$84,950 – $171,7108,930
4Nurse Practitioners$131,740
Master's degree
$106,260 – $164,7506,530
5Physician Assistants$127,940
Master's degree
$105,160 – $164,2003,050
6Physical Therapists$105,720
Doctoral or professional degree
$85,220 – $142,3207,880
7Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$103,080
Associate's degree
$82,660 – $123,9902,280
8Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$100,730
Associate's degree
$80,850 – $109,5501,930
9Registered Nurses$100,490
Bachelor's degree
$77,410 – $119,260100,240
10Dental Hygienists$100,260
Associate's degree
$74,280 – $118,4106,470
11Occupational Therapists$99,860
Master's degree
$73,900 – $136,1605,960
12Speech-Language Pathologists$98,490
Master's degree
$62,470 – $124,4007,150
13Physicians, All Other$94,820
Doctoral or professional degree
$73,430 – $430,24016,950
14Respiratory Therapists$87,060
Associate's degree
$74,560 – $100,1003,620
15Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$82,140
Associate's degree
$60,130 – $106,1505,650
16Surgical Assistants$80,210
Postsecondary nondegree award
$64,220 – $80,2102,090
17Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$78,070
Postsecondary nondegree award
$62,200 – $96,53011,420
18Anesthesiologists$77,770
Doctoral or professional degree
$77,320 – $442,2701,700
19Paramedics$77,670
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,000 – $106,8102,560
20Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$73,960
Bachelor's degree
$44,580 – $100,8207,620
21Dietitians and Nutritionists$73,560
Bachelor's degree
$49,040 – $91,7802,030
22Chiropractors$72,440
Doctoral or professional degree
$44,720 – $138,3001,470
23Surgical Technologists$66,360
Postsecondary nondegree award
$50,590 – $94,0302,530
24Medical Records Specialists$57,970
Postsecondary nondegree award
$41,460 – $78,4704,510
25Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$50,240
Postsecondary nondegree award
$44,140 – $80,7603,540
26Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$50,010
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,650 – $60,5602,390
27Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$47,820
Associate's degree
$39,060 – $62,6703,250
28Pharmacy Technicians$46,820
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,780 – $59,17015,830
29Psychiatric Technicians$46,060
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,420 – $51,4506,730
30Opticians, Dispensing$44,530
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,530 – $63,5602,420
31Emergency Medical Technicians$44,020
Postsecondary nondegree award
$39,750 – $135,4905,610

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

#	Occupation	MedianChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$156,100	$123,920 – $290,850	5,910
2	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$148,730	$80,770 – $289,310	1,530
3	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$140,880	$84,950 – $171,710	8,930
4	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$131,740	$106,260 – $164,750	6,530
5	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$127,940	$105,160 – $164,200	3,050
6	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$105,720	$85,220 – $142,320	7,880
7	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$103,080	$82,660 – $123,990	2,280
8	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$100,730	$80,850 – $109,550	1,930
9	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$100,490	$77,410 – $119,260	100,240
10	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$100,260	$74,280 – $118,410	6,470
11	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$99,860	$73,900 – $136,160	5,960
12	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$98,490	$62,470 – $124,400	7,150
13	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$94,820	$73,430 – $430,240	16,950
14	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$87,060	$74,560 – $100,100	3,620
15	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$82,140	$60,130 – $106,150	5,650
16	Surgical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$80,210	$64,220 – $80,210	2,090
17	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$78,070	$62,200 – $96,530	11,420
18	AnesthesiologistsDoctoral or professional degree	$77,770	$77,320 – $442,270	1,700
19	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$77,670	$50,000 – $106,810	2,560
20	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$73,960	$44,580 – $100,820	7,620
21	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$73,560	$49,040 – $91,780	2,030
22	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$72,440	$44,720 – $138,300	1,470
23	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$66,360	$50,590 – $94,030	2,530
24	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$57,970	$41,460 – $78,470	4,510
25	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$50,240	$44,140 – $80,760	3,540
26	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$50,010	$36,650 – $60,560	2,390
27	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$47,820	$39,060 – $62,670	3,250
28	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,820	$37,780 – $59,170	15,830
29	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,060	$38,420 – $51,450	6,730
30	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,530	$37,530 – $63,560	2,420
31	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$44,020	$39,750 – $135,490	5,610

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to rank honestly.

High paying medical jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

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