How Much Does an LPN Make in Illinois in 2026?

A typical LPN in Illinois earns about $36.06 per hour, or $75,000 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay works out to roughly $6,250 a month and $1,442 a week. Those numbers reflect the middle of the pay range across the state, before accounting for city or experience differences.

Illinois pay runs 16% above the national typical pay of $64,400. That gap puts the state 12th out of 51 states and jurisdictions ranked for LPN pay. About 17,440 LPNs work in Illinois, a workforce large enough to make these figures a reliable read on typical pay across hospitals, clinics, and long-term care settings statewide.

Entry-level positions in Illinois typically offer around $28.31 an hour, or about $58,880 a year. Pay tends to move toward the statewide typical figure of $75,000 within the first several years on the job. New LPNs often start in long-term care or outpatient settings before moving into hospital roles that pay more.

Experienced LPNs often earn upwards of $43.18 an hour, or about $89,810 a year, putting them in the top 10% of earners statewide. That's a spread of $30,930 between entry-level and top pay. The gap usually comes down to setting, years on the job, and whether the position is in a higher-paying city like Chicago.

Illinois LPN pay has climbed steadily over the past decade, from $45,870 in 2015 to $75,000 in 2025. That's a gain of $29,130, or 64%, over ten years. The increase has been especially sharp since 2022, when typical pay moved from $59,310 to $75,000 in just three years.

Nationally, typical LPN pay rose 49% over the same ten years, a slower pace than Illinois posted. That gap means Illinois LPNs gained ground relative to the rest of the country, not just in dollar terms. Someone starting an LPN career in Illinois now enters at a higher point than someone who started a decade ago. Future pay growth isn't guaranteed, but the trend over the past ten years has been consistently upward.

Chicago pays LPNs the most in Illinois, at $78,070 a year ($37.54 an hour), about 4% above the statewide figure. Peoria and Rockford follow, with typical pay of $72,270 and $70,090 a year. These figures cover each city's full metro area, not just the city center, so surrounding suburbs are included in the numbers.

Springfield pays the least among the cities tracked, at $60,110 a year ($28.90 an hour), a spread of $17,960 between the highest- and lowest-paying metro areas in the state. Chicago also has the largest LPN workforce by far, with 11,420 employed there. Higher pay in Chicago tends to track its higher cost of living, so the gap doesn't necessarily mean better take-home value.

Illinois pays LPNs more than every neighboring state according to this data. Indiana comes closest, at $65,720 a year, about 12% below Illinois, while Kentucky trails furthest at $60,460, about 19% lower. Wisconsin, Iowa, and Missouri fall in between. LPN licensure earned in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a neighboring state, which can widen job options for nurses near a state line.

Illinois LPNs typically earn $75,000 a year, or $36.06 an hour, and that figure has grown 64% over the past decade. Pay varies by city and experience level, from entry-level positions near $58,880 to top earners above $89,810. Readers weighing a move or a new license should check the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for licensing requirements, and the city pages here for local pay figures.