The average annual salary for a lawyer in Illinois is $181,240, and the median is $160,800. The median is the more useful figure for most hiring decisions because it is less affected by a small number of very high earners at the top of the market. Budget around the median as your baseline and adjust upward based on the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Lawyer salary in Illinois (2026)
The average annual salary for a lawyer in Illinois is $181,240. A small pool of very high earners pulls that average upward, so the median of $160,800 gives you a more reliable starting point for most hiring decisions. Illinois employs 33,590 lawyers, and the $20,440 gap between the mean and median reflects real variation in the candidate pool you will be evaluating. Junior lawyers in Illinois typically earn around $82,160, while senior specialists reach and exceed the $330,200 level at the 90th percentile. Plan for a range rather than a single number when budgeting for a lawyer hire in Illinois, and anchor that range to the seniority and specialization of the role you are filling.
Metric / Value
Metric | Value |
Median Annual Salary | $160,800 |
Average Annual Salary | $181,240 |
vs. National Average | 2.5% below the national mean of $185,840 |
Data comes from the BLS OEWS and covers 33,590 employed lawyers across Illinois.
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Lawyer salary percentiles in Illinois
Percentile | Annual Salary |
10th Percentile | $82,160 |
25th Percentile | $103,020 |
75th Percentile | $224,450 |
90th Percentile | $330,200 |
When setting an offer for a lawyer in Illinois, the wide spread from $82,160 at the 10th percentile to $330,200 at the 90th percentile means seniority and practice area will drive your number more than geography alone. Roles requiring specialized litigation or corporate transactional experience will push compensation toward the upper end of this range.
Lawyer salary by city in Illinois
City | Average Annual Salary |
Chicago | $187,420 |
Peoria | $171,780 |
Champaign | $160,490 |
Springfield | $143,130 |
Rockford | $136,090 |
Where you hire in Illinois will meaningfully affect your compensation budget for a lawyer role. Chicago commands the highest average at $187,420, while Rockford sits at $136,090, a difference of more than $51,000 per year. If your role can be filled outside the Chicago metro, you may find qualified candidates at a lower market rate without sacrificing talent quality.
How Illinois compares to other states
State | Average Annual Salary | Median Annual Salary |
Illinois | $181,240 | $160,800 |
Texas | $180,370 | $154,200 |
Indiana | $175,850 | $126,860 |
Wisconsin | $171,200 | $126,760 |
Ohio | $151,140 | $131,020 |
Michigan | $148,820 | $130,520 |
Illinois sits at the top of this regional peer group, so employers hiring here should expect compensation expectations to run higher than in neighboring states like Ohio or Michigan. The Illinois mean of $181,240 exceeds Ohio's mean of $151,140 by roughly $30,000, which matters when candidates are weighing offers across state lines. Texas is the closest competitor at $180,370, meaning Illinois and Texas employers are largely competing in the same compensation band for senior legal talent.
Frequently asked questions about lawyer salary in Illinois
How much do lawyers get paid in Illinois?
How does Illinois compare to other states for lawyer salary?
Illinois leads its regional peer group with a mean of $181,240, placing it above Texas ($180,370), Indiana ($175,850), Wisconsin ($171,200), Ohio ($151,140), and Michigan ($148,820). The Illinois median of $160,800 also outpaces all five comparison states, which means candidates in Illinois generally carry higher compensation expectations than those in neighboring markets. If you are hiring remotely or considering candidates from other states, this gap is worth factoring into your offer strategy.
What do the top-earning lawyers make in Illinois?
Lawyers at the 90th percentile in Illinois earn $330,200 per year. The 75th percentile sits at $224,450, so the jump from the upper-middle tier to the top of the market is substantial. When competing for senior or highly specialized legal talent, plan for offers well above the statewide median of $160,800.
What is the salary range for a lawyer in Illinois?
The salary range for a lawyer in Illinois runs from $82,160 at the 10th percentile to $330,200 at the 90th percentile. The 25th percentile is $103,020 and the 75th percentile is $224,450, giving you clear anchors for entry-level and experienced hires. Use the percentile that matches the seniority and specialization of your open role to set a defensible offer.
Lawyer salary by state
Data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC code 23-1011 (Lawyers).
Disclaimer
Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide or be relied on for tax, accounting, or legal advice. You should consult your own tax, accounting, and legal advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.
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