SOC 19-3041 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Sociologists — Illinois
Illinois
At $140,770 a year, the median wage for Sociologists in Illinois sits 32.8% above the national figure of $106,030.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.6%
- Openings per year
- 300
- Typical entry-level education
- Master's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Illinois.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $140,770 a year, the median wage for Sociologists in Illinois sits 32.8% above the national figure of $106,030. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $104,580 and $174,320. The lowest tenth earn under $76,320, while the highest tenth earn more than $229,480.
Illinois ranks number 1st out of 11 states by median pay for this occupation. Of the 747 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 37th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $76,320 | −28.0% |
| 25th | $104,580 | −1.4% |
| Median (50th) | $140,770 | +32.8% |
| 75th | $174,320 | +64.4% |
| 90th | $229,480 | +116.4% |
| Mean | $143,940 | +35.8% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Illinois sit close to the national average, so $140,770 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$140,770as reported by BLSLocal price level
100.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$140,770US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $140,770 a year, 32.8% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $76,320 to $229,480 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- It ranks 1st of 11 states for this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Sociologists in Illinois?
The median annual wage is $140,770, or $67.68 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $106,030, so pay in Illinois is 32.8% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Illinois earns more than $229,480 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $76,320 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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