High paying teaching and library jobs in Illinois

Every teaching and library 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 teaching and library 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 teaching jobs in Illinois

OccupationMedian, Illinois · Employed

1Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary$99,060
Doctoral or professional degree
$47,340 – $207,9302,340
2Business Teachers, Postsecondary$94,770
Doctoral or professional degree
$37,590 – $215,8003,580
3Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$92,860
Doctoral or professional degree
$49,410 – $214,0907,740
4Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$79,990
Bachelor's degree
$49,020 – $135,96044,670
5Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$79,890
Bachelor's degree
$49,920 – $129,2609,490
6Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary$79,150
Doctoral or professional degree
$47,690 – $103,2204,940
7Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$77,960
Bachelor's degree
$49,790 – $104,49014,040
8Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$77,950
Bachelor's degree
$48,540 – $132,8302,780
9Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary$77,860
Doctoral or professional degree
$37,930 – $130,9502,260
10English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary$77,570
Doctoral or professional degree
$37,270 – $125,5202,570
11Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary$77,080
Doctoral or professional degree
$42,060 – $129,2802,390
12Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$76,110
Bachelor's degree
$47,810 – $105,58024,770
13Instructional Coordinators$76,050
Master's degree
$45,220 – $112,42010,330
14Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$75,320
Bachelor's degree
$47,040 – $105,25061,520
15Special Education Teachers, Middle School$74,730
Bachelor's degree
$49,660 – $102,2004,460
16Special Education Teachers, All Other$64,850
Bachelor's degree
$47,660 – $100,3202,560
17Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education$64,020
Bachelor's degree
$46,040 – $103,4204,660
18Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary$62,960
Master's degree
$31,200 – $118,2704,170
19Librarians and Media Collections Specialists$62,700
Master's degree
$38,650 – $103,5405,390
20Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary$62,480
Bachelor's degree
$37,810 – $121,6304,420
21Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors$62,370
Bachelor's degree
$47,330 – $98,4701,970
22Education Teachers, Postsecondary$61,560
Doctoral or professional degree
$37,690 – $100,0003,930
23Library Technicians$47,120
Postsecondary nondegree award
$33,780 – $63,1702,140
24Self-Enrichment Teachers$44,230
High school diploma or equivalent
$31,200 – $79,65015,030
25Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$40,910
Associate's degree
$36,030 – $60,89022,420
26Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$39,410
Bachelor's degree
$31,200 – $58,04017,220
27Tutors$37,400
Some college, no degree
$31,200 – $63,5705,910
28Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$36,990
Some college, no degree
$31,200 – $48,10064,210
29Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$36,040
Bachelor's degree
$31,850 – $96,23012,340

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	Biological Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$99,060	$47,340 – $207,930	2,340
2	Business Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$94,770	$37,590 – $215,800	3,580
3	Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$92,860	$49,410 – $214,090	7,740
4	Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$79,990	$49,020 – $135,960	44,670
5	Special Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$79,890	$49,920 – $129,260	9,490
6	Nursing Instructors and Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$79,150	$47,690 – $103,220	4,940
7	Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary SchoolBachelor's degree	$77,960	$49,790 – $104,490	14,040
8	Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary SchoolBachelor's degree	$77,950	$48,540 – $132,830	2,780
9	Psychology Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$77,860	$37,930 – $130,950	2,260
10	English Language and Literature Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$77,570	$37,270 – $125,520	2,570
11	Mathematical Science Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$77,080	$42,060 – $129,280	2,390
12	Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical EducationBachelor's degree	$76,110	$47,810 – $105,580	24,770
13	Instructional CoordinatorsMaster's degree	$76,050	$45,220 – $112,420	10,330
14	Elementary School Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$75,320	$47,040 – $105,250	61,520
15	Special Education Teachers, Middle SchoolBachelor's degree	$74,730	$49,660 – $102,200	4,460
16	Special Education Teachers, All OtherBachelor's degree	$64,850	$47,660 – $100,320	2,560
17	Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special EducationBachelor's degree	$64,020	$46,040 – $103,420	4,660
18	Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondaryMaster's degree	$62,960	$31,200 – $118,270	4,170
19	Librarians and Media Collections SpecialistsMaster's degree	$62,700	$38,650 – $103,540	5,390
20	Career/Technical Education Teachers, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$62,480	$37,810 – $121,630	4,420
21	Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language InstructorsBachelor's degree	$62,370	$47,330 – $98,470	1,970
22	Education Teachers, PostsecondaryDoctoral or professional degree	$61,560	$37,690 – $100,000	3,930
23	Library TechniciansPostsecondary nondegree award	$47,120	$33,780 – $63,170	2,140
24	Self-Enrichment TeachersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,230	$31,200 – $79,650	15,030
25	Preschool Teachers, Except Special EducationAssociate's degree	$40,910	$36,030 – $60,890	22,420
26	Substitute Teachers, Short-TermBachelor's degree	$39,410	$31,200 – $58,040	17,220
27	TutorsSome college, no degree	$37,400	$31,200 – $63,570	5,910
28	Teaching Assistants, Except PostsecondarySome college, no degree	$36,990	$31,200 – $48,100	64,210
29	Teaching Assistants, PostsecondaryBachelor's degree	$36,040	$31,850 – $96,230	12,340

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 teaching and library jobs in Illinois

More for Illinois

Metro areas in Illinois

By field in Illinois

Without a degree

High paying teaching and library jobs in each state