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Illinois — sector wage premiums across 22 occupational sectors

Which sectors in Illinois pay above the national average?

As of May 2025 BLS OEWS data, Illinois pays +33.8% above the national average for Construction and Extraction Occupations (state median: $80,570 vs national approx. $60,202). Across 22 sectors, Illinois's highest-premium sector is Construction and Extraction Occupations. Re-dated annually from BLS OEWS.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — Major Group Rollups·As of May 2025 state estimates (major-group rollup) · updated annually (BLS OEWS) · last refreshed

Gera US Sector Pay Premium Index

Illinois's top sector premium: Construction and Extraction Occupations at GUPPI +33.8% (national avg: $60,202).

How this is calculated
Construction and Extraction Occupations +33.8%

Illinois — GUPPI across all occupational sectors (BLS OEWS May 2025)

#SectorState medianNational avgGUPPI
1Construction and Extraction Occupations$80,570$60,202+33.8%
2Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations$44,120$37,695+17.0%
3Protective Service Occupations$56,670$51,939+9.1%
4Transportation and Material Moving Occupations$45,480$43,676+4.1%
5Healthcare Support Occupations$38,970$37,607+3.6%
6Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations$60,660$59,120+2.6%
7Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations$34,260$33,497+2.3%
8Personal Care and Service Occupations$36,160$35,534+1.8%
9Management Occupations$128,080$126,800+1.0%
10Community and Social Service Occupations$57,880$57,575+0.5%
11Production Occupations$47,030$46,816+0.5%
12Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations$38,540$38,525+0.0%
13Office and Administrative Support Occupations$47,740$47,910−0.4%
14Educational Instruction and Library Occupations$60,400$61,160−1.2%
15Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations$63,720$64,550−1.3%
16Architecture and Engineering Occupations$98,740$100,184−1.4%
17Legal Occupations$105,090$106,531−1.4%
18Sales and Related Occupations$38,480$39,171−1.8%
19Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations$82,870$85,407−3.0%
20Business and Financial Operations Occupations$82,700$85,690−3.5%
21Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations$84,940$90,805−6.5%
22Computer and Mathematical Occupations$103,200$113,425−9.0%

Benchmark your salary against the sector median in Illinois

Enter your annual salary to see how you compare to the BLS OEWS May 2025 sector median for Illinois.

Sector GUPPI for Illinois: +33.8%State median: $80,570 · National avg: $60,202

Frequently asked questions

Which sector pays the most premium in Illinois?
Construction and Extraction Occupations has the highest sector GUPPI in Illinois: +33.8% (BLS OEWS May 2025 median $80,570/yr vs national $60,202/yr).
Which sector pays below average in Illinois?
Computer and Mathematical Occupations has the lowest sector GUPPI in Illinois: −9.0% (BLS OEWS May 2025 median $103,200/yr vs national $113,425/yr).
How does Illinois compare to other states for sector pay?
Illinois (IL) has 12 sectors paying above the national employment-weighted average and 10 sectors below. Use the Gera Sector Pay Premium Index to browse all 22 sectors for any state.

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Data source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — Major Group Rollups · May 2025 state estimates (major-group rollup) · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)

GUPPI computed by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-20. Full methodology · ← All sectors

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