Registered Nurses in Illinois. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
Registered Nurses in Illinois earned a median annual wage of $86,410 in 2024, about 8.6% below the US median of $94,511. That gap is notable for a large Midwest state with major medical centers in Chicago, but it is not unusual. Illinois sits close to the national cost-of-living average, with a cost-of-living index of 99.5, so the nominal gap is roughly the real gap. What a nurse earns here buys about the same amount as the national figure suggests.
The spread between the lowest and highest earners is meaningful. Nurses at the 10th percentile took home $64,930, while those at the 90th earned $112,320. Top earners made about 1.7 times what those just starting out did. That range reflects differences in specialty, seniority, and the type of facility. A new grad in a community hospital and a senior nurse in a Level I trauma center are both counted in the same number.
The mean wage of $91,130 sits above the median by roughly $4,700. A smaller group of higher-earning nurses pulls the average up, which means most nurses in Illinois earn somewhere below that mean figure. The median is the more useful benchmark for anyone trying to gauge typical pay.
BLS projects employment for Registered Nurses to grow 4.9% between 2024 and 2034, which it classifies as average growth. Illinois employed about 139,900 nurses in 2024, one of the larger state totals in the country. A field that size generates openings from retirements and role changes even when growth is modest, so the job market here does not depend on headline expansion alone.
Salary distribution
Where Illinois registered nurses fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $80,020 and $105,960, with a median of $95,990.
Registered Nurses in Illinois: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 149 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $81,120. 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 | 90 | $76,877 |
| Level II — qualified | 50 | $83,200 |
| Level III — experienced | 8 | $94,203 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Registered Nurses in Illinois. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| RESILIENCE HEALTHCARE CHICAGO GRADUATE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | EMERGENCY ROOM CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST | 52 | $83,200 |
| JACKSON PARK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | SURGICAL UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | 46 | $76,877 |
| Saint Anthony Hospital | Staff Nurse-Labor and Delivery | 8 | $94,120 |
| WEST SUBURBAN MEDICAL CENTER | INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | 8 | $83,200 |
| Crawford Hospital District | Registered Nurse BSN | 6 | $68,016 |
| SOUTH SHORE HOSPITAL CORPORATION | CRITICAL CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | 6 | $81,120 |
| CARNEGIE HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES INC. | EMERGENCY ROOM CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST | 4 | $81,120 |
| Northwestern Memorial HealthCare | Clinical Nurse | 4 | $76,451 |
| WEISS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, LLC. | INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | 3 | $83,200 |
| Endeavor Health | Orthopedic Nurse | 2 | $88,088 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- NURSE SPECIALIST – MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSING at RESILIENCE HEALTHCARE CHICAGO GRADUATE EDUCATION FOUNDATION$83,200OAK PARKWage Level IDecided Mar 26, 2026I-200-26078-716875
- Clinical Coordinator at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare$85,166ChicagoWage Level IIDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-703003
- Operating Room Nurse (Nursing/Surgery) at Saint Anthony Hospital$95,680ChicagoWage Level IIIDecided Feb 23, 2026I-200-26044-641482
- INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST at SOUTH SHORE HOSPITAL CORPORATION$81,120CHICAGOWage Level IDecided Jan 23, 2026I-200-26015-562155
- CRITICAL CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST at SOUTH SHORE HOSPITAL CORPORATION$81,120CHICAGOWage Level IDecided Jan 23, 2026I-200-26015-562117
- INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST at WEST SUBURBAN MEDICAL CENTER$83,200OAK PARKWage Level IDecided Jan 20, 2026I-200-26012-552017
- Registered Nurse at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago$76,960NapervilleWage Level IDecided Jan 20, 2026I-200-26012-551607
- SURGICAL UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST at JACKSON PARK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION$79,186CHICAGOWage Level IDecided Jan 12, 2026I-200-26005-534191
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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Registered Nurses 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.
Registered Nurses specialties in Illinois
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 122 certified offers. The most common variant is INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST at a median of $81,120.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | RESILIENCE HEALTHCARE CHICAGO GRADUATE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | 28 | $81,120 |
| PROGRESSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | RESILIENCE HEALTHCARE CHICAGO GRADUATE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | 23 | $83,200 |
| SURGICAL UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | JACKSON PARK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | 22 | $77,958 |
| EMERGENCY ROOM CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST | RESILIENCE HEALTHCARE CHICAGO GRADUATE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | 21 | $83,200 |
| CRITICAL CARE UNIT NURSE SPECIALIST | JACKSON PARK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | 14 | $80,153 |
| Registered Nurse | Envision Unlimited | 6 | $79,622 |
| MEDICAL SURGICAL NURSE | RESILIENCE HEALTHCARE CHICAGO GRADUATE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | 4 | $90,480 |
| Registered Nurse BSN | Crawford Hospital District | 4 | $62,400 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Registered Nurses in Illinois, by industry
Median offered wage across 149 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Healthcare leads with a median of $76,877.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare | JACKSON PARK HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | 90 | $76,877 |
| Education | RESILIENCE HEALTHCARE CHICAGO GRADUATE EDUCATION FOUNDATION | 53 | $83,200 |
| Professional services | CARNEGIE HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES INC. | 6 | $81,120 |
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
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.6 / 5
Psychology
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge
- 4.4 / 5
Medicine and Dentistry
Knowledge
- 4.2 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Deductive Reasoning
Ability
- 4.1 / 5
Social Perceptiveness
Technical
- 4.1 / 5
Problem Sensitivity
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
Speaking
Basic skill
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Record patients' medical information and vital signs.
- 02
Administer medications to patients and monitor patients for reactions or side effects.
- 03
Maintain accurate, detailed reports and records.
- 04
Monitor, record, and report symptoms or changes in patients' conditions.
- 05
Provide health care, first aid, immunizations, or assistance in convalescence or rehabilitation in locations such as schools, hospitals, or industry.
- 06
Consult and coordinate with healthcare team members to assess, plan, implement, or evaluate patient care plans.
- 07
Direct or supervise less-skilled nursing or healthcare personnel or supervise a particular unit.
- 08
Monitor all aspects of patient care, including diet and physical activity.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+4.9%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Metro-level salary data for registered nurses in major Illinois metropolitan areas.
- Chicago$100,490
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Registered Nurses in Illinois?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Registered Nurses in Illinois is $95,990.
- How does Illinois compare to the national median for Registered Nurses?
- The Illinois median is -2.4% versus the BLS national figure of $98,331.
- What is the salary range for Registered Nurses in Illinois?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $69,170 and the 90th-percentile at $118,190, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Registered Nurses a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 4.9% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Registered Nurses?
- 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.