Nurse practitioner salary in Illinois
Illinois nurse practitioners earn a median of $130,680 a year ($62.83 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 1% below the national median of $132,300, and ranks 30th of 51 states.
Median, Illinois
$130,680
Mean $130,940
Middle half earns
$113,320 to $142,000
US: $117,990 to $156,700
Employed in Illinois
9,270
0.73x the national concentration
Where Illinois sits in the range
Illinois
Statewide
United States
National
Chicago
Metro area
St. Louis
Metro area
Champaign
Metro area
Davenport
Metro area
Nurse practitioner pay by percentile
Ten percent of Illinois nurse practitioners earned less than $102,440 and ten percent earned more than $161,470, a spread of $59,030. Where you land depends mostly on specialty, setting, experience and how the productivity pay is built, which is why two offers in the same city can be far apart.
| Percentile | Illinois | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $102,440 | $101,340 | +1.1% |
| 25th | $113,320 | $117,990 | -4.0% |
| Median | $130,680 | $132,300 | -1.2% |
| 75th | $142,000 | $156,700 | -9.4% |
| 90th | $161,470 | $174,420 | -7.4% |
Nurse practitioner pay by metro area
BLS published NP pay for 12 metro areas that include part of Illinois. Bloomington, IL has the highest median at $139,190. Metro estimates rest on smaller samples than the statewide figure, so treat a low-precision row as a direction, not a number.
| Metro area | Employed | Median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 6,530 | $131,740 | $118,710 to $149,150 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 3,430 | $131,580 | $127,460 to $154,500 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | 420 | $137,100 | $137,100 to $160,070 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 390 | $130,400 | $114,230 to $138,300 |
| Springfield, IL | 350 | $130,200 | $117,260 to $130,200 |
| Peoria, IL | 320 | $128,920 | $118,990 to $135,050 |
| Rockford, IL | 240 | $127,720 | $109,290 to $134,100 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 200 | $130,000 | $119,500 to $139,690 |
| Paducah, KY-ILmoderate precision | 110 | $124,200 | $104,620 to $133,280 |
| Kankakee, IL | 100 | $128,320 | $122,560 to $141,170 |
| Bloomington, IL | 90 | $139,190 | $112,230 to $141,060 |
| Decatur, IL | 80 | $110,820 | $110,820 to $137,630 |
How NP pay compares with other clinicians in Illinois
| Occupation | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse practitioner | $130,680 | $132,300 |
| Physician assistant | $131,950 | $135,880 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $286,830 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $95,990 | $97,550 |
The Illinois NP workforce
BLS counts 9,270 nurse practitioners on Illinois payrolls, or 1.52 for every 1,000 jobs in the state, less concentrated than in the country as a whole. The federal NPI registry, which also counts self-employed and part-time clinicians, lists 15,796 nurse practitioners with a Illinois practice address, and 947 new NP NPIs there in the past twelve months.
Using these numbers when you negotiate
A state median is a reference point, not a target. If an offer comes in under $113,320, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Illinois nurse practitioners earn, and you should know why before you sign: a new-grad rate, a light schedule, or a base kept low because a productivity bonus is supposed to make up the difference. If it is above $142,000, ask what is expected in return, such as call, volume targets or a longer non-compete.
Compare the whole package, not the base: how the bonus is calculated, call pay, CME, PTO and who pays malpractice tail coverage. The negotiation guide and the contract checklist walk through each term.
Questions about NP pay in Illinois
How much does a NP make in Illinois?
The median annual wage for nurse practitioners in Illinois was $130,680 in May 2025, and the mean was $130,940, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $113,320 and $142,000.
What is the hourly rate for nurse practitioners in Illinois?
The median hourly wage was $62.83 and the mean was $62.95. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do NPs earn the most in Illinois?
Among Illinois metro areas with published data, Bloomington, IL had the highest median at $139,190, and Decatur, IL the lowest at $110,820.
How does Illinois rank for NP pay?
Illinois ranks 30th of 51 states (including DC) by median NP pay, 1% below the national median of $132,300. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many nurse practitioners work in Illinois?
BLS estimated 9,270 nurse practitioners employed in Illinois in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 15,796 with a Illinois practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1171, all industries and ownerships. NPI counts: NPPES monthly file, August 2026 (CMS, public domain). BLS wages are straight-time pay: they include production bonuses but leave out overtime, shift differentials, non-production bonuses and benefits, and they exclude the self-employed.
Have an offer on the table?
Book a free intro call with Max. Tell him what you are weighing, and he will tell you whether coaching would help, or whether you just need a few answers.