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Registered Nurses Salary in Illinois

What Registered Nurses earn in Illinois, labor market by labor market, and what is left after taxes and living costs in 17 counties.

Average in IL
$92,649
local median wages, weighted
Rank among states
25 of 45
published states
Workers in state
177,710
BLS employment estimate
Wage areas
2
17 counties

Pay by labor market in Illinois

Registered Nurses pay by wage area in Illinois
Wage areaMedian wageTake-home payMargin per yearLargest county
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$100,490$74,413$46,036Cook County, IL
St. Louis, MO-IL$83,180$63,092$42,827Madison County, IL

Counties ranked by what is left after the basics

Registered Nurses in Illinois counties, by yearly margin
#CountyMedian wageTake-home payMargin per year
1DeKalb County, IL$100,490$74,413$53,536
2Grundy County, IL$100,490$74,413$52,600
3Macoupin County, IL$83,180$63,092$47,099
4Cook County, IL$100,490$74,413$46,036
5DuPage County, IL$100,490$74,413$46,036
6Lake County, IL$100,490$74,413$46,036
7Will County, IL$100,490$74,413$46,036
8Kane County, IL$100,490$74,413$46,036
9McHenry County, IL$100,490$74,413$46,036
10Kendall County, IL$100,490$74,413$45,916
11Bond County, IL$83,180$63,092$45,287
12Madison County, IL$83,180$63,092$42,827
13St. Clair County, IL$83,180$63,092$42,827
14Clinton County, IL$83,180$63,092$42,827
15Monroe County, IL$83,180$63,092$42,827
16Jersey County, IL$83,180$63,092$42,827
17Calhoun County, IL$83,180$63,092$42,827

Registered Nurses pay in Illinois

The employment-weighted average of local median wages for Registered Nurses in Illinois is $92,649, based on 177,710 workers. Among the 45 states with published data, that ranks number 25. The BLS national median for the occupation is $97,550, so Illinois averages 5.0% below it.

Inside Illinois, pay depends on the labor market. The highest local median is $100,490 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and the lowest is $83,180 in St. Louis, MO-IL, a difference of $17,310 across 2 wage areas.

Cost of living for Registered Nurses in Illinois

We compare 17 Illinois counties after federal, Social Security, Medicare and state taxes and the four basics: a one-bedroom rental, food, home energy and gasoline. DeKalb County, IL leaves the largest yearly margin, $53,536. Calhoun County, IL leaves the smallest, $42,827. The median wage covers all four basics in 17 of the 17 counties.

Registered Nurses in other states

The states with the highest average local median wages for Registered Nurses are California ($151,152), Oregon ($126,881), Washington ($123,996) and New Jersey ($113,690).

Frequently asked questions: Registered Nurses in Illinois

How much do Registered Nurses earn in Illinois?

The employment-weighted average of local median wages is $92,649, from $83,180 to $100,490 depending on the labor market.

Which Illinois county is best for Registered Nurses?

DeKalb County, IL leaves the largest yearly margin after taxes and the four basics ($53,536). Grundy County, IL follows at $52,600.