Side-by-side distribution
Illinois
$105,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 57.9%
- Live roles
- 3,162
Los Angeles
$130,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 66.4%
- Live roles
- 4,514
Highest-paying jobs
Sales Leader, Quality Engineering Services
Co-Founder & CEO - AI Retail Planning Autopilot
Director / VP Sales
Electronics Engineering Technician
Strategic Account Executive - Chicago (Remote)
Psychiatrist (MD / DO)
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Psych Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP, Psych APRN)
Employment Law Attorney
Dentist
Highest-paying jobs
Executive Director
Business Development Leader II - Behavioral Health Market
Office Practice Leader II
Commercial Market Leader I
Account Director - Growth Marketing (Paid Social)
Co-Founder & CEO - AI Retail Planning Autopilot
Strategic Account Executive - Southern California (Remote)
Business Development Manager (Japanese and English bilingual)
Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) – Private Equity Principal
Business Development Manager
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Gotion, Inc.
|
$101,250 | 88 |
Okta
|
$214,000 | 69 |
The Symicor Group
|
$100,000 | 49 |
NoGigiddy
|
$43,680 | 36 |
Tricoci University
|
$44,720 | 35 |
Optiver
|
$200,000 | 34 |
Real Chemistry
|
$127,500 | 34 |
Metropolis
|
$112,500 | 30 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CHAOS Industries
|
$175,000 | 130 |
DoorDash USA
|
$130,200 | 110 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$185,000 | 93 |
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$150,000 | 92 |
| L( LA28 (Web) | $101,500 | 86 |
General Matter
|
$132,500 | 73 |
AEG Worldwide
|
$89,453 | 63 |
Freeform
|
$145,000 | 53 |
Highest-paying roles in Illinois
| Role | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| UX Designer | $167,250 | 4 |
| DevOps | $160,000 | 49 |
| Software Engineer | $152,125 | 126 |
| Sales | $130,250 | 556 |
| Customer Success | $127,750 | 374 |
| Data Scientist | $126,500 | 7 |
| Product Manager | $125,000 | 287 |
| Project Manager | $117,330 | 181 |
| Marketing Manager | $116,250 | 194 |
| Recruiter | $111,375 | 220 |
Highest-paying roles in Los Angeles
| Role | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| DevOps | $180,000 | 78 |
| Software Engineer | $170,000 | 548 |
| Data Scientist | $170,000 | 31 |
| UX Designer | $165,000 | 23 |
| Recruiter | $145,000 | 289 |
| Product Manager | $139,500 | 499 |
| Nurse | $137,500 | 33 |
| Customer Success | $135,000 | 540 |
| Project Manager | $122,500 | 326 |
| Sales | $117,550 | 734 |
Illinois vs Los Angeles: which pays more?
The median for Illinois is $105,000 per year (typically $67,500–$160,000), versus $130,000 for Los Angeles ($85,000–$175,000). That puts Los Angeles about 24% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Illinois and Los Angeles are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.