Project Management Specialists in Illinois. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
Illinois sits almost exactly at the national midpoint for this occupation. The median wage for Project Management Specialists here was $102,490 in 2024, about 1.5% above the US median of $100,946. That gap is narrow enough that Illinois reads less as a standout market and more as a reliable baseline.
The spread between top and bottom earners is the more interesting story. The 10th percentile came in at $60,000 and the 90th at $161,980. Top earners in Illinois make roughly 2.7 times what the lowest-paid project managers do. That kind of range usually reflects real differences in industry, seniority, and the complexity of what someone is actually managing. A project coordinator at a regional nonprofit and a senior program manager at a financial services firm both show up in this number.
Illinois's cost-of-living index sits at 99.5, essentially matching the national average. That makes the wage comparison unusually clean. Unlike California or New York, where a headline premium gets trimmed sharply once you account for housing and taxes, the Illinois median translates close to dollar-for-dollar against the national figure. What the data shows nominally is roughly what the money buys.
BLS projects employment for Project Management Specialists to grow 5.6% between 2024 and 2034, a pace it classifies as faster than average. That applies nationally, and the state data does not break out a separate Illinois growth figure. Still, with 23,850 people in this role across the state, Illinois is a sizable market for the occupation.
Salary distribution
Where Illinois project management specialists fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $81,000 and $132,360, with a median of $103,470.
Project Management Specialists in Illinois: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 160 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $111,530. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 16 | $66,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 52 | $86,258 |
| Level III — experienced | 32 | $125,525 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 57 | $140,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Project Management Specialists in Illinois. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal, Inc. | Product Manager 3 - Technical | 10 | $130,975 |
| Capital One, National Association | Principal Product Owner | 7 | $133,182 |
| SBA Acquisition Group | Project Management Specialist | 7 | $83,949 |
| STV Construction Inc. | Assistant Project Manager - Construction Mgmt. | 6 | $86,903 |
| INFOSYS LIMITED | Domain Project Lead 1 | 5 | $89,856 |
| Discover Products Inc. | Senior Principal Product Owner | 4 | $133,182 |
| Adyen N.V. | Product Manager | 3 | $111,530 |
| Amazon.com Services LLC | Principal Program Management | 3 | $115,600 |
| DFS Corporate Services LLC | Principal Product Owner | 3 | $133,182 |
| DFS Services LLC | Manager, Project Management | 3 | $133,182 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Project Manager at Chicago Public Schools$84,229ChicagoWage Level IIDecided Mar 31, 2026I-200-26083-726242
- Global Senior NetSuite Consultant at Exclusive Networks USA, Inc.$133,182ChicagoWage Level IVDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26075-705682
- Contract Analyst at Orsted North America Inc.$101,524ChicagoDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-702727
- Specialist Sr., Product Management at Shure Incorporated$133,182NilesWage Level IVDecided Mar 18, 2026I-200-26070-697109
- Principal Product Owner at Capital One, National Association$133,182RiverwoodsWage Level IVDecided Mar 18, 2026I-200-26070-697126
- Project Management Specialist at SBA Acquisition Group$89,856Franklin ParkWage Level IIDecided Mar 17, 2026I-200-26069-693725
- Senior Product Manager at Sapient Corporation$161,679ChicagoWage Level IVDecided Mar 13, 2026I-200-26065-686732
- Senior Manager Product Owner at Capital One, National Association$147,500RiverwoodsWage Level IVDecided Mar 5, 2026I-200-26057-667590
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
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Project Management Specialists pay by experience level in Illinois
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Project Management Specialists specialties in Illinois
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 82 certified offers. The most common variant is Project Manager at a median of $89,856.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Manager | STV Construction Inc. | 17 | $89,856 |
| Product Manager | PayPal, Inc. | 14 | $133,182 |
| Principal Product Owner | Capital One, National Association | 12 | $133,182 |
| Project Management Specialist | SBA Acquisition Group | 10 | $83,949 |
| Product Manager 3 - Technical | PayPal, Inc. | 6 | $133,158 |
| Manager, Agile Delivery | Capital One Services, LLC | 6 | $140,880 |
| Director, Cloud Applications | Capital One, National Association | 4 | $138,816 |
| Senior Manager Product Owner | Capital One, National Association | 4 | $147,500 |
| Program Manager | Amazon.com Services LLC | 3 | $110,900 |
| Project Controls Specialist | Fermi Forward Discovery Group, LLC | 3 | $67,600 |
| Domain Project Lead | INFOSYS LIMITED | 3 | $83,949 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Project Management Specialists in Illinois, by industry
Median offered wage across 157 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Finance and insurance leads with a median of $133,182.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and insurance | PayPal, Inc. | 40 | $133,182 |
| Technology and software | INFOSYS LIMITED | 38 | $109,390 |
| Professional services | STV Construction Inc. | 33 | $89,856 |
| Manufacturing | SBA Acquisition Group | 21 | $89,856 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 7 | $115,600 |
| Education | Chicago Public Schools | 5 | $92,164 |
| Energy and utilities | ACCIONA ENERGY USA GLOBAL LLC | 4 | $105,762 |
| Media and entertainment | Fever Labs, Inc. | 2 | $141,611 |
| Government and public sector | Adtalem Global Education Inc. | 2 | $94,942 |
| Healthcare | Northwestern Memorial HealthCare | 2 | $106,538 |
| Real estate | Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. | 2 | $122,953 |
| Transportation and logistics | UNIUNI LOGISTICS INC. | 1 | $63,898 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Illinois over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
Common tasks (O*NET)
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+5.6%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Metro-level salary data for project management specialists in major Illinois metropolitan areas.
- Chicago$105,320
Compare Project Management Specialists pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare Illinois with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Project Management Specialists in Illinois?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Project Management Specialists in Illinois is $103,470.
- How does Illinois compare to the national median for Project Management Specialists?
- The Illinois median is -1.4% versus the BLS national figure of $104,968.
- What is the salary range for Project Management Specialists in Illinois?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $65,300 and the 90th-percentile at $163,910, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Project Management Specialists a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 5.6% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Project Management Specialists?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.