Land the Big Bucks: Illinois’ Top-Paying Careers for 2024

Want to bring home the biggest bucks in the Land of Lincoln? Illinois has a vast selection of career options to choose from, but obviously, some pay a whole lot more than others. Here are 10 of the highest-paying jobs in Illinois for 2024.

What To Be When You Grow Up

My daughters may only be 10 and 8, but we've already had a few discussions about what they want to be when they grow up. While "Cowgirl Vet" may be at the top of the list for both them at the moment, they've also told me they want to work at McDonald's or Taco Bell so they can "learn the secret recipes". LOL!

I am not one to tell my girls they can't do something or to crush their dreams, but them attending college and becoming successful adults is a high priority in our house.

The Highest Paying Jobs in Illinois

If you're tired of living paycheck to paycheck and need to make a career change to live a more comfortable lifestyle, here are the 10 highest-paying jobs in Illinois for 2024 according to Salary Explorer:

1. Surgeons and Doctors - Salary Range: from $213,000 to $715,000

2. Judges - Salary Range: from $152,000 to $484,000

3. Lawyers - Salary Range: from $148,000 to $413,000

4. Bank Managers - Salary Range: from $114,000 to $353,000

5. Chief Executive Officers - Salary Range: from $114,000 to $345,000

6. Chief Financial Officers - Salary Range: from $108,000 to $325,000

7. Orthodontists - Salary Range: from $99,200 to $316,000

8. College Professors - Salary Range: from $98,900 to $315,000

9. Pilots - Salary Range: from $92,200 to $286,000

10. Marketing Directors - Salary Range: from $72,900 to $238,000

If you're thinking that list is too broad and not specific enough, Salary Explorer's article does state;

In order to have diversity in the list and to make it as extensive as possible, we grouped similar jobs together. If we just displayed the highest salaries in descending order, then the list would have mostly consisted of top-level surgeons.

READ MORE: 8 Reasons Living In Illinois is Seriously Underrated