Physician assistant salary in Illinois
Illinois physician assistants earn a median of $131,950 a year ($63.44 an hour), according to BLS data for May 2025. That is 3% below the national median of $135,880, and ranks 36th of 51 states.
Median, Illinois
$131,950
Mean $131,880
Middle half earns
$122,780 to $145,600
US: $120,670 to $163,980
Employed in Illinois
3,790
0.60x 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
Physician assistant pay by percentile
Ten percent of Illinois physician assistants earned less than $105,160 and ten percent earned more than $162,330, a spread of $57,170. 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 | $105,160 | $99,380 | +5.8% |
| 25th | $122,780 | $120,670 | +1.7% |
| Median | $131,950 | $135,880 | -2.9% |
| 75th | $145,600 | $163,980 | -11.2% |
| 90th | $162,330 | $190,280 | -14.7% |
Physician assistant pay by metro area
BLS published PA pay for 9 metro areas that include part of Illinois. Cape Girardeau, MO-IL has the highest median at $141,080. 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-INmoderate precision | 3,050 | $127,940 | $122,780 to $145,600 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 1,260 | $136,120 | $124,080 to $164,700 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | 120 | $139,950 | $139,250 to $159,070 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 110 | $137,420 | $118,610 to $154,560 |
| Peoria, IL | 110 | $133,170 | $123,080 to $152,900 |
| Rockford, IL | 60 | $127,800 | $113,480 to $145,190 |
| Paducah, KY-ILmoderate precision | 60 | $124,990 | $102,070 to $134,980 |
| Springfield, IL | 50 | $133,750 | $118,390 to $147,180 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 40 | $141,080 | $134,130 to $152,210 |
How PA pay compares with other clinicians in Illinois
| Occupation | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Physician assistant | $131,950 | $135,880 |
| Nurse practitioner | $130,680 | $132,300 |
| Nurse anesthetist (CRNA) | $286,830 | $236,590 |
| Registered nurse | $95,990 | $97,550 |
The Illinois PA workforce
BLS counts 3,790 physician assistants on Illinois payrolls, or 0.62 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 5,912 physician assistants with a Illinois practice address, and 313 new PA 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 $122,780, it sits in the bottom quarter of what Illinois physician assistants 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 $145,600, 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 PA pay in Illinois
How much does a PA make in Illinois?
The median annual wage for physician assistants in Illinois was $131,950 in May 2025, and the mean was $131,880, per the BLS. The middle half earned between $122,780 and $145,600.
What is the hourly rate for physician assistants in Illinois?
The median hourly wage was $63.44 and the mean was $63.41. BLS computes hourly figures from annual pay assuming a full-time year, so per-shift or per-diem rates can differ.
Where do PAs earn the most in Illinois?
Among Illinois metro areas with published data, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL had the highest median at $141,080, and Paducah, KY-IL the lowest at $124,990.
How does Illinois rank for PA pay?
Illinois ranks 36th of 51 states (including DC) by median PA pay, 3% below the national median of $135,880. Pay is only half the picture: compare it with what housing and taxes cost where you would live.
How many physician assistants work in Illinois?
BLS estimated 3,790 physician assistants employed in Illinois in May 2025. The federal NPI registry lists 5,912 with a Illinois practice address.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (bls.gov/oes), SOC 29-1071, 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.