High paying medical jobs in Illinois

Every medical occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Illinois. 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 Illinois run 0.0% below the national average (2024), so a Illinois salary is worth about 1.00× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Illinois.

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

Find medical jobs in Illinois

OccupationMedian, Illinois · Employed

1Family Medicine Physicians$245,120
Doctoral or professional degree
$95,260 – $321,9801,960
2Dentists, General$156,110
Doctoral or professional degree
$123,920 – $291,5306,940
3Pharmacists$139,080
Doctoral or professional degree
$98,970 – $169,43012,070
4Veterinarians$133,580
Doctoral or professional degree
$74,840 – $280,3802,330
5Physicians, All Other$132,540
Doctoral or professional degree
$71,830 – $452,20020,790
6Physician Assistants$131,950
Master's degree
$105,160 – $162,3303,790
7Nurse Practitioners$130,680
Master's degree
$102,440 – $161,4709,270
8Physical Therapists$105,250
Doctoral or professional degree
$83,000 – $140,4109,800
9Diagnostic Medical Sonographers$100,660
Associate's degree
$78,350 – $122,6803,270
10Occupational Therapists$99,700
Master's degree
$73,360 – $132,1807,710
11Dental Hygienists$96,670
Associate's degree
$74,280 – $118,4108,970
12Registered Nurses$95,990
Bachelor's degree
$69,170 – $118,190138,910
13Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technologists$95,380
Associate's degree
$77,410 – $109,5502,760
14Speech-Language Pathologists$95,080
Master's degree
$60,870 – $123,8009,040
15Respiratory Therapists$84,090
Associate's degree
$64,480 – $100,1004,880
16Surgical Assistants$80,210
Postsecondary nondegree award
$64,220 – $83,7402,300
17Radiologic Technologists and Technicians$79,930
Associate's degree
$59,350 – $104,2107,650
18Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$75,000
Postsecondary nondegree award
$58,880 – $89,81017,440
19Dietitians and Nutritionists$73,520
Bachelor's degree
$51,330 – $115,1902,840
20Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$71,950
Bachelor's degree
$44,980 – $99,97010,330
21Chiropractors$66,650
Doctoral or professional degree
$37,630 – $136,3302,190
22Surgical Technologists$64,650
Postsecondary nondegree award
$48,560 – $91,8903,570
23Paramedics$60,660
Postsecondary nondegree award
$47,210 – $106,8103,890
24Medical Records Specialists$56,440
Postsecondary nondegree award
$38,890 – $77,5205,740
25Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other$49,930
Postsecondary nondegree award
$40,520 – $80,7604,620
26Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$47,100
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,190 – $60,4903,250
27Pharmacy Technicians$46,650
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,550 – $58,26021,340
28Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$46,440
Associate's degree
$38,580 – $60,5205,040
29Psychiatric Technicians$46,200
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,820 – $53,6209,410
30Opticians, Dispensing$43,960
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,080 – $62,8303,250
31Emergency Medical Technicians$42,260
Postsecondary nondegree award
$36,420 – $135,4907,840

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

#	Occupation	MedianIllinois	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Family Medicine PhysiciansDoctoral or professional degree	$245,120	$95,260 – $321,980	1,960
2	Dentists, GeneralDoctoral or professional degree	$156,110	$123,920 – $291,530	6,940
3	PharmacistsDoctoral or professional degree	$139,080	$98,970 – $169,430	12,070
4	VeterinariansDoctoral or professional degree	$133,580	$74,840 – $280,380	2,330
5	Physicians, All OtherDoctoral or professional degree	$132,540	$71,830 – $452,200	20,790
6	Physician AssistantsMaster's degree	$131,950	$105,160 – $162,330	3,790
7	Nurse PractitionersMaster's degree	$130,680	$102,440 – $161,470	9,270
8	Physical TherapistsDoctoral or professional degree	$105,250	$83,000 – $140,410	9,800
9	Diagnostic Medical SonographersAssociate's degree	$100,660	$78,350 – $122,680	3,270
10	Occupational TherapistsMaster's degree	$99,700	$73,360 – $132,180	7,710
11	Dental HygienistsAssociate's degree	$96,670	$74,280 – $118,410	8,970
12	Registered NursesBachelor's degree	$95,990	$69,170 – $118,190	138,910
13	Magnetic Resonance Imaging TechnologistsAssociate's degree	$95,380	$77,410 – $109,550	2,760
14	Speech-Language PathologistsMaster's degree	$95,080	$60,870 – $123,800	9,040
15	Respiratory TherapistsAssociate's degree	$84,090	$64,480 – $100,100	4,880
16	Surgical AssistantsPostsecondary nondegree award	$80,210	$64,220 – $83,740	2,300
17	Radiologic Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$79,930	$59,350 – $104,210	7,650
18	Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational NursesPostsecondary nondegree award	$75,000	$58,880 – $89,810	17,440
19	Dietitians and NutritionistsBachelor's degree	$73,520	$51,330 – $115,190	2,840
20	Clinical Laboratory Technologists and TechniciansBachelor's degree	$71,950	$44,980 – $99,970	10,330
21	ChiropractorsDoctoral or professional degree	$66,650	$37,630 – $136,330	2,190
22	Surgical TechnologistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$64,650	$48,560 – $91,890	3,570
23	ParamedicsPostsecondary nondegree award	$60,660	$47,210 – $106,810	3,890
24	Medical Records SpecialistsPostsecondary nondegree award	$56,440	$38,890 – $77,520	5,740
25	Health Technologists and Technicians, All OtherPostsecondary nondegree award	$49,930	$40,520 – $80,760	4,620
26	Ophthalmic Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,100	$36,190 – $60,490	3,250
27	Pharmacy TechniciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$46,650	$36,550 – $58,260	21,340
28	Veterinary Technologists and TechniciansAssociate's degree	$46,440	$38,580 – $60,520	5,040
29	Psychiatric TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$46,200	$36,820 – $53,620	9,410
30	Opticians, DispensingHigh school diploma or equivalent	$43,960	$37,080 – $62,830	3,250
31	Emergency Medical TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$42,260	$36,420 – $135,490	7,840

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Illinois. 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.

More for Illinois

Metro areas in Illinois

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Illinois

Without a degree

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

High paying medical jobs in Illinois

More for Illinois

Metro areas in Illinois

By field in Illinois

Without a degree

High paying medical jobs in each state