Lawyers Salary
Lawyers in Illinois make a median of $160,800 a year, or about $77.31 an hour. The range runs from $82K at the entry level to $330K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $171,337 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 14.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $161K get you in Illinois?
About lawyers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Illinois
Lawyers pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $161K locally vs. $160K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 15% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level lawyers (10th percentile) start around $82K. Mid-career wages sit at $161K. Top earners bring in $330K or more, a $248K spread from bottom to top.
Lawyers salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $166K | +3% | 28,320 |
| Peoria | $161K | +0% | 560 |
| Springfield | $131K | -18% | 530 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $130K | -19% | 250 |
| Bloomington | $124K | -23% | 530 |
| Kankakee | $107K | -33% | 50 |
| Rockford | $103K | -36% | 340 |
| Decatur | $101K | -37% | 70 |
Compare to other states
Track lawyers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
Related careers in Legal
Frequently asked questions
Can a lawyer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $161K, rent takes 15% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for lawyers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lawyers typically earn — is $82K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,930/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is lawyer a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $161K locally vs. $160K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for lawyers?
Illinois pays $161K median vs. the U.S. average of $160K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $171K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do lawyers make in Illinois?
The median is $160,800 a year, that works out to about $77 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $82,160, and experienced lawyers can clear $330,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $161K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,392/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 15% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a lawyers salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median lawyers salary is worth about $171,337 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lawyers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.