Occupational profile · 2025
Illinois
Illinois employs 6,098,130 people. The work it does most unusually is mathematical science occupations, all other, at 9.1× the national concentration — 1,320 jobs paying a median of $81,090.
What Illinois is distinctive for
Detailed occupations ranked by location quotient. A location quotient is an occupation’s share of a state’s jobs divided by its share of the nation’s. One means the state looks like the country; two means twice the concentration. It is a measure of distinctiveness, not of quality, size or pay. Bars use a logarithmic scale so the lower ranks stay legible beside the leader.
- 1Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other1,320 jobs · median $81,0909.1×
- 2Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders10,240 jobs · median $53,5602.8×
- 3Surgical Assistants2,300 jobs · median $80,2102.6×
- 4Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other1,700 jobs · median $63,4702.6×
- 5Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers1,210 jobs · median $76,2902.5×
- 6Tool and Die Makers5,220 jobs · median $61,1702.3×
- 7School Bus Monitors6,930 jobs · median $33,8402.3×
- 8Rail Car Repairers1,850 jobs · median $84,5702.2×
- 9Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling3,260 jobs · median $77,3102.2×
- 10Actuaries2,280 jobs · median $115,4302.2×
- 11Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders2,460 jobs · median $42,6702.0×
- 12Physicists1,590 jobs · median $137,1402.0×
What Illinois is made of
All twenty-two occupational groups by headcount, with the concentration figure beside each. Most states look broadly alike in this view — that is the finding, not a flaw in it.
| Occupation group | Share of state employment | Jobs | vs national | Median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office and Administrative Support Occupations | 679,940 | 0.98× | $47,740 | |
| Transportation and Material Moving Occupations | 634,040 | 1.18× | $45,480 | |
| Management Occupations | 534,130 | 1.22× | $128,080 | |
| Sales and Related Occupations | 518,110 | 0.98× | $38,480 | |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations | 494,610 | 0.92× | $34,260 | |
| Production Occupations | 412,330 | 1.23× | $47,030 | |
| Business and Financial Operations Occupations | 405,170 | 0.98× | $82,700 | |
| Educational Instruction and Library Occupations | 384,470 | 1.08× | $60,400 | |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations | 378,880 | 0.98× | $84,940 | |
| Healthcare Support Occupations | 269,440 | 0.87× | $38,970 | |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations | 210,710 | 0.88× | $60,660 | |
| Construction and Extraction Occupations | 187,190 | 0.74× | $80,570 | |
| Computer and Mathematical Occupations | 182,560 | 0.88× | $103,200 | |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations | 167,910 | 0.94× | $38,540 | |
| Protective Service Occupations | 153,150 | 1.03× | $56,670 | |
| Personal Care and Service Occupations | 129,910 | 1.02× | $36,160 | |
| Community and Social Service Occupations | 104,240 | 1.00× | $57,880 | |
| Architecture and Engineering Occupations | 80,480 | 0.78× | $98,740 | |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations | 64,970 | 0.81× | $63,720 | |
| Legal Occupations | 52,860 | 1.03× | $105,090 | |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations | 46,560 | 0.81× | $82,870 | |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations | 6,480 | 0.38× | $44,120 |
Elsewhere on Illinois
Blank cells are estimates BLS did not release, usually because too few employers reported. They are shown as gaps rather than filled. Detailed occupations are included only where at least 1,000 people are employed, below which a quotient is survey noise. A wage marked “$239,200 or more” is censored at source: BLS does not publish medians above that figure, so the number is a floor rather than the wage. A work of the U.S. government: no copyright subsists (17 U.S.C. §105). BLS OEWS ↗