State profile · NCES F-33 FY2022
Teacher Salary in Illinois
According to the NCES Common Core of Data finance survey, estimated teacher pay and per-pupil spending are available across 848 public school districts in Illinois.
- $86,298
- Est. state avg salary
- +0.6%
- vs national
- #17
- National rank
- 848
- Districts
Illinois's estimated average teacher salary is $86,298, near the national average of $85,759, ranking #17 of 51 states and territories, across 848 public school districts (NCES CCD F-33, FY2022).
- upper third nationally (#17 of 51)
- $131,650 spread between its highest- and lowest-paying districts
- +0.6% vs the national average
- +12.6% since FY2019
- #22 of 51 purchasing-power-adjusted (BEA RPP 101.2)
What does the NCES F-33 data show for Illinois?
Illinois reports 848 public school districts in the NCES Common Core of Data FY2022 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, with an average teacher salary of $86,298. That places the state in the upper third of US teacher-pay rankings - #17 of 51, near the national average of $85,759 (+0.6%). The state's public schools serve 1,860,095 students across these districts. Most district figures divide total instructional spending by the district's REPORTED teacher headcount (NCES CCD Staff Universe Survey); a small number of large consolidated districts that report staffing only at a sub-district level fall back to an estimated ratio instead, since total instructional spending also includes aides and assistants, both figures run somewhat above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, treat this as a relative cross-district comparison, not an exact paycheck, and see our methodology for the formula, its data source per district, and its limits.
Among enrolling districts, pay varies widely: Twp HSD 113 reports the highest estimated average salary at $162,736, while Clay City CUSD 10 sits at the lower end at $31,086 - a spread of $131,650 between top and bottom reporting districts. Licensing rules, state aid formulas, collective bargaining density, and local tax bases all drive this intra-state variation. Urban and suburban districts with larger tax bases typically lead, while rural districts often lag despite lower cost of living.
Teacher compensation here reflects both state policy choices, the statutory minimum salary schedule, pension funding levels, licensure reciprocity, and the funding formula that determines how much state aid each district receives per pupil. A #17 national rank signals where Illinois sits in the competition for teachers against neighboring states; teacher shortage areas typically correlate with lower pay rank. Figures below are per-district averages derived from the F-33 instructional salary expenditure field (Z33) divided by each district's reported teacher FTE (or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure), a district-level aggregate, not individual salary records.
Purchasing-power-adjusted rank
Illinois's nominal average teacher salary ranks #17 of 51 states and territories. Adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis's 2022 Regional Price Parity (101.2, US = 100, a relative state-level price-level index, not a district or metro cost-of-living figure), the estimate becomes $85,270, ranking #22 of 51 , 5 places lower than the nominal rank once relative price levels are factored in. This purchasing-power view is not published by NEA's teacher-pay rankings or the aggregator sites; it comes from combining our own F-33-derived salary estimate with BEA's public RPP series. See the full 51-state release for methodology and download.
Illinois's estimated average teacher salary, FY2019-FY2022
Highest-paying districts in Illinois
Estimated average teacher salary, enrolling districts (200+ students)
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$162,736 Est. avg salary
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$160,543 Est. avg salary
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$159,431 Est. avg salary
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$158,068 Est. avg salary
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$153,064 Est. avg salary
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$150,061 Est. avg salary
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$149,185 Est. avg salary
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$149,184 Est. avg salary
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$146,319 Est. avg salary
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$142,569 Est. avg salary
What this shows Twp HSD 113 leads Illinois on the F-33 instructional-salary estimate. Service entities (CTCs, county offices) are excluded, their enrollment-based ratios are not reliable salary figures.
Top 3 districts
Districts by Estimated Teacher Salary
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment | Per-Pupil Exp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Hollow SD 38 | $74,423 | 1,727 | $16,444 |
| La Grange SD 105 South | $74,324 | 1,224 | $27,078 |
| Matteson ESD 162 | $74,190 | 2,398 | $19,971 |
| Oak Grove SD 68 Bartonville | $74,141 | 267 | $17,876 |
| Rosemont ESD 78 | $74,071 | 219 | $39,301 |
| Channahon SD 17 | $74,057 | 1,196 | $27,018 |
| Westchester SD 92-5 | $74,000 | 1,033 | $20,716 |
| Morton CUSD 709 | $73,771 | 3,204 | $14,876 |
| Crystal Lake CCSD 47 | $73,532 | 7,012 | $17,843 |
| CUSD 300 | $73,329 | 20,293 | $19,479 |
| Fairfield PSD 112 | $73,256 | 615 | $15,533 |
| Mt Vernon Twp HSD 201 | $73,255 | 1,188 | $19,909 |
| Fox River Grove Cons SD 3 | $73,247 | 414 | $18,551 |
| Lyons SD 103 | $73,221 | 2,151 | $21,942 |
| Effingham CUSD 40 | $73,162 | 2,407 | $18,225 |
| Bartonville SD 66 | $73,045 | 227 | $18,044 |
| Eastland CUSD 308 | $72,923 | 717 | $19,456 |
| Pinckneyville CHSD 101 | $72,922 | 437 | $16,096 |
| Triad CUSD 2 | $72,920 | 3,991 | $13,124 |
| Hazel Crest SD 152-5 | $72,864 | 879 | $20,366 |
| Freeburg CHSD 77 | $72,864 | 707 | $19,877 |
| Rantoul Township HSD 193 | $72,841 | 813 | $18,697 |
| Antioch CCSD 34 | $72,676 | 2,641 | $17,832 |
| Du Quoin CUSD 300 | $72,563 | 1,392 | $15,421 |
| Burbank SD 111 | $72,517 | 3,292 | $20,164 |
| Sterling CUSD 5 | $72,492 | 3,279 | $15,378 |
| Dwight Twp HSD 230 | $72,490 | 224 | $28,897 |
| Galesburg CUSD 205 | $72,473 | 3,929 | $23,463 |
| Christopher USD 99 | $72,291 | 702 | $17,650 |
| Diamond Lake SD 76 | $72,273 | 871 | $25,099 |
| Georgetown-Ridge Farm CUD 4 | $72,271 | 871 | $19,452 |
| Pekin PSD 108 | $72,270 | 3,179 | $17,266 |
| Meridian CUSD 223 | $72,219 | 1,450 | $18,772 |
| Mundelein ESD 75 | $72,173 | 1,588 | $19,543 |
| Cook County SD 130 | $72,129 | 3,066 | $20,258 |
| Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3 | $72,126 | 3,352 | $10,720 |
| Lincoln CHSD 404 | $72,071 | 831 | $17,994 |
| Fieldcrest CUSD 6 | $71,775 | 867 | $39,494 |
| Prairie Central CUSD 8 | $71,730 | 1,763 | $16,412 |
| Freeport SD 145 | $71,719 | 3,520 | $21,914 |
| Wabash CUSD 348 | $71,697 | 1,392 | $14,698 |
| Emmons SD 33 | $71,667 | 306 | $20,441 |
| Taylorville CUSD 3 | $71,624 | 2,290 | $16,323 |
| Forest Ridge SD 142 | $71,578 | 1,495 | $15,913 |
| Carlyle CUSD 1 | $71,534 | 985 | $15,478 |
| New Lenox SD 122 | $71,425 | 5,029 | $15,708 |
| Decatur SD 61 | $71,414 | 8,260 | $18,855 |
| Hawthorn CCSD 73 | $71,361 | 3,601 | $24,547 |
| Rantoul City SD 137 | $71,269 | 1,703 | $19,913 |
| Dunlap CUSD 323 | $71,260 | 4,693 | $13,260 |
| McLean County USD 5 | $71,226 | 12,593 | $15,564 |
| Centralia SD 135 | $71,047 | 1,148 | $19,905 |
| Genoa Kingston CUSD 424 | $70,914 | 1,498 | $17,738 |
| Erie CUSD 1 | $70,731 | 629 | $26,550 |
| Winthrop Harbor SD 1 | $70,682 | 585 | $18,044 |
| Minooka CCSD 201 | $70,650 | 4,493 | $15,152 |
| Manhattan SD 114 | $70,638 | 1,790 | $15,255 |
| Troy CCSD 30C | $70,607 | 4,069 | $18,138 |
| River Grove SD 85-5 | $70,518 | 680 | $19,669 |
| Mt Pulaski CUSD 23 | $70,495 | 514 | $16,335 |
| Hillsboro CUSD 3 | $70,495 | 1,622 | $15,383 |
| Cairo USD 1 | $70,494 | 276 | $34,873 |
| Gavin SD 37 | $70,469 | 808 | $15,963 |
| Chaney-Monge SD 88 | $70,467 | 478 | $18,519 |
| Itasca SD 10 | $70,454 | 1,023 | $19,196 |
| Dwight Common SD 232 | $70,403 | 514 | $13,955 |
| Goreville CUD 1 | $70,341 | 626 | $15,032 |
| Central CUSD 301 | $70,248 | 4,703 | $17,171 |
| LeRoy CUSD 2 | $70,175 | 781 | $22,633 |
| Woodlawn Unit School District 209 | $70,107 | 493 | $14,359 |
| Whiteside SD 115 | $70,093 | 1,173 | $13,469 |
| Peoria Heights CUSD 325 | $70,059 | 737 | $19,696 |
| W Harvey-Dixmoor PSD 147 | $69,923 | 779 | $22,211 |
| Ball Chatham CUSD 5 | $69,921 | 4,682 | $10,870 |
| Grant CCSD 110 | $69,783 | 547 | $18,934 |
| Pontiac Twp HSD 90 | $69,683 | 696 | $20,312 |
| Riley CCSD 18 | $69,639 | 287 | $16,937 |
| Summersville SD 79 | $69,619 | 264 | $12,871 |
| Rochester CUSD 3A | $69,516 | 2,110 | $13,686 |
| Ridgeview CUSD 19 | $69,489 | 537 | $21,503 |
| Wolf Branch SD 113 | $69,468 | 745 | $18,546 |
| Ridgeland SD 122 | $69,456 | 2,327 | $24,841 |
| Wood Dale SD 7 | $69,421 | 928 | $23,764 |
| Serena CUSD 2 | $69,393 | 652 | $21,075 |
| Harvard CUSD 50 | $69,341 | 2,522 | $20,580 |
| Silvis SD 34 | $69,126 | 644 | $15,411 |
| Palos Heights SD 128 | $69,118 | 742 | $21,491 |
| North Chicago SD 187 | $69,043 | 3,434 | $23,183 |
| Elwood CCSD 203 | $69,000 | 268 | $19,705 |
| Brookwood SD 167 | $68,935 | 1,088 | $19,231 |
| Calumet City SD 155 | $68,907 | 979 | $19,380 |
| Geneseo CUSD 228 | $68,616 | 2,463 | $14,355 |
| Cumberland CUSD 77 | $68,548 | 1,006 | $13,414 |
| Putnam County CUSD 535 | $68,470 | 794 | $18,450 |
| Momence CUSD 1 | $68,397 | 966 | $17,594 |
| Saratoga CCSD 60C | $68,396 | 746 | $16,458 |
| Marion CUSD 2 | $68,370 | 3,728 | $15,450 |
| Brookfield Lagrange Park SD 95 | $68,361 | 1,317 | $16,439 |
| Pontiac-W Holliday SD 105 | $68,327 | 683 | $16,091 |
| Edwardsville CUSD 7 | $68,261 | 7,365 | $14,508 |
Showing 301–400 of 757 enrolling districts. Specialized non-enrolling agencies (career/technical centers, county offices, service co-ops) are excluded from the salary ranking, their enrollment-based estimates are not reliable.
Lowest-Paying Districts in Illinois
| District | Est. Avg Salary | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|
| Clay City CUSD 10 | $31,086 | 275 |
| Spoon River Valley CUSD 4 | $34,667 | 255 |
| Stewardson-Strasburg CUD 5A | $37,170 | 408 |
| Northwestern CUSD 2 | $39,784 | 331 |
| Cissna Park CUSD 6 | $39,993 | 261 |
| Williamsfield CUSD 210 | $40,131 | 287 |
| Brownstown CUSD 201 | $41,024 | 405 |
| Donovan CUSD 3 | $41,153 | 274 |
| CUSD 4 | $41,241 | 667 |
| Pearl City CUSD 200 | $42,255 | 425 |
Among enrolling districts (200+ students) with a reliable estimate; service entities excluded, see methodology.
Compare Nearby-Ranked States
Data: NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey + Staff Universe Survey, FY2022. Salary figures divide instructional expenditure (variable Z33) by each district's reported teacher FTE, or an estimated FTE for the small minority with no reported figure. Not individual salary data. Read our methodology.
Illinois teacher salary FAQ
What is the average teacher salary in Illinois?
Across Illinois's 848 public school districts, the average teacher salary is $86,298 (NCES CCD F-33 finance data divided by CCD Staff Universe Survey teacher headcounts, FY2022). This figure is derived from total instructional spending and runs above survey-reported classroom-teacher-only salaries, read it as a relative comparison.
Which Illinois school district pays teachers the most?
Twp HSD 113 reports the highest average teacher salary in Illinois at $162,736, while Clay City CUSD 10 sits at the lower end at $31,086.
How does Illinois teacher pay compare to the national average?
Illinois's average of $86,298 is near the national average of $85,759 (+0.6%), ranking #17 of 51 US states and territories.
How many school districts are in Illinois?
Illinois has 848 public school districts in the NCES CCD F-33 Finance Survey, together serving 1,860,095 students.
Can teachers earn $100,000 in Illinois?
67 of 757 Illinois districts with reliable data report an estimated average teacher salary of $100,000 or more, led by Twp HSD 113 at $162,736. This is a district-wide average, not an individual salary, step, or years-of-experience figure.
How does Illinois rank after adjusting for cost of living?
Adjusted by the BEA's 2022 Regional Price Parity (101.2, US=100), Illinois's purchasing-power-adjusted estimated teacher salary is $85,270, ranking #22 of 51 states and territories, lower than its #17 nominal-salary rank. This is a relative state-level price-level comparison, not take-home pay, taxes, or district/metro cost of living.
Related
According to the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) F-33 Local Education Agency Finance Survey, PlainTeacher's figures are computed directly, no number is typed in by an editor. Illinois's district figures are aggregated directly from each district's FY2022 F-33 submission, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Data current as of FY2022.
| Publisher | PlainTeacher |
| Sources | Public official public datasets |