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Nurse Practitioners Salary

in Illinois

In Illinois, nurse practitioners earn $130,680 at the median, or about $62.83 an hour. The range runs from $102K at the entry level to $161K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $139,243 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 17.7% of estimated take-home pay.

Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:

$131K
Median annual
$62.83/hr
Hourly rate
$102K
Entry level (10th %)
$161K
Senior level (90th %)

So what does $131K get you in Illinois?

Estimated monthly take-home$7,800/mo
Median 2BR rent-$1,407/mo
Rent as % of take-home18% (within guideline)
Cost-of-living adjusted salary$139,243/yr
Monthly remaining after rent$6,393/mo

About nurse practitioners

Education: Master's degree
U.S. employed: 323,040
Illinois employed: 9,270
Category: Healthcare

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What this looks like in Illinois

Nurse practitioners pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $131K locally vs. $132K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 18% 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

Bar chart showing Nurse Practitioners salary percentiles in Illinois: 10th percentile $102,440, 25th percentile $113,320, median $130,680, 75th percentile $142,000, 90th percentile $161,470. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.10th$102K25th$113KMedian$131K75th$142K90th$161K
Bar chart showing Nurse Practitioners salary percentiles in Illinois: 10th percentile $102,440, 25th percentile $113,320, median $130,680, 75th percentile $142,000, 90th percentile $161,470. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Entry-level nurse practitioners (10th percentile) start around $102K. Mid-career wages sit at $131K. Top earners bring in $161K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.

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Nurse Practitioners salary by metro in Illinois

8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay

Metro areaMedian salaryvs. stateEmployment
Bloomington$139K+7%90
Champaign-Urbana$137K+5%420
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin$132K+1%6,530
Springfield$130K-0%350
Peoria$129K-1%320
Kankakee$128K-2%100
Rockford$128K-2%240
Decatur$111K-15%80

Compare to other states

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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a nurse practitioner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?

Yes — at the median salary of $131K, rent takes 18% 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 nurse practitioners in Illinois?

The 10th-percentile wage — what new nurse practitioners typically earn — is $102K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,146/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.

Is nurse practitioner a high-paying job in Illinois?

Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $131K locally vs. $132K nationally, a 1% difference.

How does Illinois compare to the national average for nurse practitioners?

Illinois pays $131K median vs. the U.S. average of $132K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $139K — still ahead of the national median.

How much do nurse practitioners make in Illinois?

The median is $130,680 a year, that works out to about $63 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $102,440, and experienced nurse practitioners can clear $161,470. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

Is $131K enough to live in Illinois?

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,800/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 18% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

How far does a nurse practitioners 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 nurse practitioners salary is worth about $139,243 in national-average purchasing power.

Where do nurse practitioners 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.

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