How Much Does a Physician Assistant Make in Chicago, IL in 2026?
Typical pay for Physician Assistants in Chicago, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across Illinois.
BLS OES May 2025 · Chicago · Naperville · Elgin metro area
A typical Physician Assistant in Chicago, Illinois earns $61.51 per hour, or $127,940 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $10,662 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $105,160, and the top 10% of earners make over $164,200.
That pay is 3% below the Illinois figure of $131,950 and 6% below the national figure of $135,880. Chicago ranks 5th of 6 metro areas in Illinois for Physician Assistant pay. About 3,050 Physician Assistants work in the Chicago · Naperville · Elgin area.
Physician Assistant pay in Chicago at a glance
- Typical pay is $61.51 an hour, or $127,940 a year.
- That is 3% below the Illinois figure, ranking 5th of 6 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $105,160; the top 10% make over $164,200.
- Typical pay rose +44% from 2015 to 2025, against +46% for Illinois as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Physician Assistant make in Chicago?
Pay in Chicago runs from entry-level positions at around $50.56 an hour to more than $78.94 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the Illinois and national figures.
Physician Assistant pay by career stage in Chicago
| Career stage | Chicago | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $105,160$50.56 an hour | $105,160$50.56 an hour | $99,380$47.78 an hour |
| First years | $122,780$59.03 an hour | $122,780$59.03 an hour | $120,670$58.02 an hour |
| Typical Physician Assistant | $127,940$61.51 an hour | $131,950$63.44 an hour | $135,880$65.33 an hour |
| Experienced | $145,600$70.00 an hour | $145,600$70.00 an hour | $163,980$78.84 an hour |
| Top 10% | $164,200$78.94 an hour | $162,330$78.04 an hour | $190,280$91.48 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Chicago · Naperville · Elgin area as BLS defines it
Physician Assistant pay growth in Chicago
Typical (median) annual wage for Physician Assistants in the Chicago · Naperville · Elgin area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Physician Assistant pay in Chicago was $88,880 a year. By 2025 it had reached $127,940, a change of +44%, compared with +46% for Illinois over the same years.
How Chicago compares with other Illinois cities
Champaign pays Physician Assistants the most in Illinois at $139,950 a year, $12,010 more than Chicago. The lowest-paying area in the state is Rockford at $127,800.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Chicago | Physician Assistants employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champaign metro incl. Urbana | $139,950 | $67.29 | +9% | 120 |
| 2 | Rock Island metro incl. Moline | $137,420 | $66.07 | +7% | 110 |
| 3 | Springfield | $133,750 | $64.30 | +5% | 50 |
| 4 | Peoria | $133,170 | $64.02 | +4% | 110 |
| 5 | Chicago | $127,940 | $61.51 | this city | 3,050 |
| 6 | Rockford | $127,800 | $61.44 | 0% | 60 |
Every metro area in Illinois with Physician Assistant wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · Illinois typical pay $131,950
Is Chicago a good place to work as a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants in Chicago earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $127,940 a year, 6% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Chicago · Naperville · Elgin area, about 0.7 are Physician Assistant positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.0. That makes Physician Assistants a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Physician Assistant make in Chicago, IL?
- A typical Physician Assistant in Chicago earns $127,940 a year, or $61.51 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $105,160 and the top 10% earn over $164,200.
- How much does a Physician Assistant make an hour in Chicago?
- Typical hourly pay for Physician Assistants in Chicago is $61.51. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $50.56, and the top 10% earn over $78.94 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Physician Assistant in Chicago?
- Entry-level Physician Assistant positions in Chicago typically offer around $50.56 an hour, or $105,160 a year.
- Is Physician Assistant pay in Chicago higher than in the rest of Illinois?
- Chicago pay is 3% below the Illinois figure of $131,950 a year, ranking 5th of 6 metro areas in the state. Champaign pays the most in Illinois at $139,950.