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Lawyers Salary in Illinois

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

Average in IL
$157,488
local median wages, weighted
Rank among states
12 of 23
published states
Workers in state
38,490
BLS employment estimate
Wage areas
2
17 counties

Pay by labor market in Illinois

Lawyers pay by wage area in Illinois
Wage areaMedian wageTake-home payMargin per yearLargest county
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$165,660$116,103$87,726Cook County, IL
St. Louis, MO-IL$142,690$101,540$81,275Madison County, IL

Counties ranked by what is left after the basics

Lawyers in Illinois counties, by yearly margin
#CountyMedian wageTake-home payMargin per year
1DeKalb County, IL$165,660$116,103$95,226
2Grundy County, IL$165,660$116,103$94,290
3Cook County, IL$165,660$116,103$87,726
4DuPage County, IL$165,660$116,103$87,726
5Lake County, IL$165,660$116,103$87,726
6Will County, IL$165,660$116,103$87,726
7Kane County, IL$165,660$116,103$87,726
8McHenry County, IL$165,660$116,103$87,726
9Kendall County, IL$165,660$116,103$87,606
10Macoupin County, IL$142,690$101,540$85,547
11Bond County, IL$142,690$101,540$83,735
12Madison County, IL$142,690$101,540$81,275
13St. Clair County, IL$142,690$101,540$81,275
14Clinton County, IL$142,690$101,540$81,275
15Monroe County, IL$142,690$101,540$81,275
16Jersey County, IL$142,690$101,540$81,275
17Calhoun County, IL$142,690$101,540$81,275

Lawyers pay in Illinois

The employment-weighted average of local median wages for Lawyers in Illinois is $157,488, based on 38,490 workers. Among the 23 states with published data, that ranks number 12. The BLS national median for the occupation is $159,670, so Illinois averages 1.4% below it.

Inside Illinois, pay depends on the labor market. The highest local median is $165,660 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and the lowest is $142,690 in St. Louis, MO-IL, a difference of $22,970 across 2 wage areas.

Cost of living for Lawyers 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, $95,226. Calhoun County, IL leaves the smallest, $81,275. The median wage covers all four basics in 17 of the 17 counties.

Lawyers in other states

The states with the highest average local median wages for Lawyers are New York ($200,114), New Jersey ($200,092), California ($199,746) and District of Columbia ($195,190).

Frequently asked questions: Lawyers in Illinois

How much do Lawyers earn in Illinois?

The employment-weighted average of local median wages is $157,488, from $142,690 to $165,660 depending on the labor market.

Which Illinois county is best for Lawyers?

DeKalb County, IL leaves the largest yearly margin after taxes and the four basics ($95,226). Grundy County, IL follows at $94,290.