Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area
Highest-Paying Occupations in Chicago Metro
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area
Figures describe the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Chicago city limits. Occupations are ranked by published median annual wage; occupations where BLS suppressed the annual median or publishes only hourly wages are not ranked (10 such occupations here).
Top 25 of 716 occupations
| # | Occupation | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Radiologists | $479,910 | $230.73 | Not published |
| 2 | Cardiologists | $475,590 | $228.65 | 150 |
| 3 | Surgeons, All Other | $462,620 | $222.41 | 340 |
| 4 | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric | $446,510 | $214.67 | 50 |
| 5 | Dermatologists | $435,750 | $209.49 | Not published |
| 6 | Chief Executives | $344,960 | $165.85 | 3,610 |
| 7 | Physicians, Pathologists | $336,660 | $161.86 | Not published |
| 8 | Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $293,490 | Not published | 6,360 |
| 9 | Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $284,630 | $136.84 | 510 |
| 10 | Dentists, All Other Specialists | $269,160 | $129.40 | 150 |
| 11 | Nurse Anesthetists | $265,880 | $127.83 | 840 |
| 12 | Psychiatrists | $258,750 | $124.40 | 600 |
| 13 | Emergency Medicine Physicians | $239,200 or more | $115.00 or more | 960 |
| 14 | General Internal Medicine Physicians | $226,060 | $108.69 | 680 |
| 15 | Family Medicine Physicians | $225,080 | $108.21 | 1,430 |
| 16 | Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $208,000 | $100.00 | 1,120 |
| 17 | Air Traffic Controllers | $189,780 | $91.24 | 850 |
| 18 | Pediatricians, General | $188,340 | $90.55 | 860 |
| 19 | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $173,760 | $83.54 | 24,950 |
| 20 | Financial Managers | $168,810 | $81.16 | 41,590 |
| 21 | Podiatrists | $167,140 | $80.36 | Not published |
| 22 | Natural Sciences Managers | $167,040 | $80.31 | 2,270 |
| 23 | Advertising and Promotions Managers | $166,390 | $80.00 | 160 |
| 24 | Lawyers | $165,660 | $79.64 | 28,320 |
| 25 | Medical Dosimetrists | $165,620 | $79.63 | 110 |
The full list of every published occupation here is on the Chicago metro area overview.
About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.