Sales Managers in Illinois. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median Sales Manager in Illinois earned $142,170 in 2024, just $1,752 above the US median of $140,418. That is a gap of about 1.2%. For a high-paying management role, the state and national figures sit unusually close together.
The average wage tells a different story. At $163,650 in Illinois versus $161,009 nationally, the spread between median and mean is wide in both cases. A smaller group of top earners pulls the average well above what a typical Sales Manager takes home. The bottom 10% earned around $77,820. The 75th percentile came in at $201,550. So the range from the lower end to the upper quartile is roughly $124,000, which reflects how much variation there is in this role by industry, company size, and performance-based pay.
Illinois has a cost-of-living index of 99.5, nearly identical to the national baseline of 100. That means the headline wage is close to what it buys in real terms. A Sales Manager earning the state median here gets roughly the same purchasing power as the national median figure suggests, unlike in states where a higher salary still loses ground to housing and other costs.
BLS projects employment for Sales Managers to grow 4.7% between 2024 and 2034, in line with the average for all occupations. Illinois currently employs around 31,160 people in this role, making it one of the larger state-level concentrations in the country.
Salary distribution
Where Illinois sales managers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $108,420 and $208,670, with a median of $155,280.
Sales Managers in Illinois: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 40 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $161,839. 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 | 10 | $87,922 |
| Level II — qualified | 12 | $128,981 |
| Level III — experienced | 10 | $166,000 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 7 | $250,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Sales Managers in Illinois. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Askable Inc | Senior Account Executive | 2 | $110,000 |
| Fuchs Lubricants Co. | Business Sales Director | 2 | $162,000 |
| L&T TECHNOLOGY SERVICES LIMITED | Area Director | 2 | $247,500 |
| VusionGroup Incorporated | Sales Manager- Major Accounts | 2 | $85,862 |
| Accenture LLP | Managing Director, US Lead, Data and AI, Industrials | 1 | $432,000 |
| APPLIX INC. | CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGER | 1 | $111,530 |
| Askable Inc. | Senior Account Executive | 1 | $110,000 |
| Astellas Pharma US, Inc. | Lead, US Field Force Deployment & Sales Force Effectiveness | 1 | $245,505 |
| Barry Callebaut USA LLC | Director, Global Corporate Accounts | 1 | $127,000 |
| Chowbus, Inc. | Regional Sales Manager | 1 | $89,981 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Senior Account Executive at Askable Inc$110,000ChicagoWage Level IDecided Mar 10, 2026I-203-26062-677548
- Associate Director, Supplies & Sales Enablement at Videojet Technologies, Inc.$162,000Wood DaleWage Level IIDecided Feb 5, 2026I-200-26029-600444
- Regional Sales Manager at Chowbus, Inc.$89,981ChicagoWage Level IDecided Feb 3, 2026I-200-26027-594574
- Head of Passenger Car eCommerce - North America at ZF Services, LLC$130,000Vernon HillsWage Level IIDecided Feb 2, 2026I-200-26026-589585
- Principal Partner Success Consultant at Qualtrics, LLC$152,500ChicagoWage Level IIDecided Jan 22, 2026I-203-26014-558954
- Vice-President, Sales at Synertrade Inc.$187,500ChicagoWage Level IIIDecided Dec 8, 2025I-203-25335-445830
- Lead, US Field Force Deployment & Sales Force Effectiveness at Astellas Pharma US, Inc.$245,505NorthbrookWage Level IVDecided Nov 20, 2025I-200-25317-406765
- Client Services - Sales at SRM Tech Inc.$170,000Lake VillaWage Level IIDecided Nov 14, 2025I-200-25307-364232
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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Sales Managers 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.
Sales Managers specialties in Illinois
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 9 certified offers. The most common variant is Sales Manager at a median of $123,781.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Manager | International Transload Logistics Inc. | 6 | $123,781 |
| Senior Account Executive | Askable Inc | 3 | $110,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Sales Managers in Illinois, by industry
Median offered wage across 40 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Technology and software leads with a median of $170,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology and software | APPLIX INC. | 13 | $170,000 |
| Manufacturing | Fuchs Lubricants Co. | 10 | $130,000 |
| Professional services | Askable Inc | 9 | $245,505 |
| Retail and wholesale | Gorilla Paper Inc | 4 | $104,822 |
| Finance and insurance | EVENTUS SYSTEMS INC. | 2 | $176,481 |
| Energy and utilities | Rio Tinto Services Inc. | 1 | $187,681 |
| Transportation and logistics | International Transload Logistics Inc. | 1 | $85,862 |
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
5 years or more
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.7 / 5
Sales and Marketing
Knowledge
- 4.5 / 5
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge
- 4.3 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.1 / 5
Persuasion
Technical
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Speaking
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Administration and Management
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Direct and coordinate activities involving sales of manufactured products, services, commodities, real estate, or other subjects of sale.
- 02
Resolve customer complaints regarding sales and service.
- 03
Confer with potential customers regarding equipment needs, and advise customers on types of equipment to purchase.
- 04
Review operational records and reports to project sales and determine profitability.
- 05
Oversee regional and local sales managers and their staffs.
- 06
Determine price schedules and discount rates.
- 07
Prepare budgets and approve budget expenditures.
- 08
Monitor customer preferences to determine focus of sales efforts.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+4.7%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Average growth
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Metro-level salary data for sales managers in major Illinois metropolitan areas.
- Chicago$158,690
Compare Sales Managers pay across nearby states
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Sales Managers in Illinois?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Sales Managers in Illinois is $155,280.
- How does Illinois compare to the national median for Sales Managers?
- The Illinois median is +5.9% versus the BLS national figure of $146,653.
- What is the salary range for Sales Managers in Illinois?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $78,760 and the 90th-percentile at $282,890, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Sales Managers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 4.7% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Sales Managers?
- 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.