The median math teacher salary in Illinois was $79,990 for high school teachers and $76,110 for middle school teachers as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These figures cover teachers of all subjects, including math. The Chicago metro area pays the most, with a $98,970 high school median.
If you’re weighing a math teaching job in Illinois, where you teach moves your pay far more than your grade band. Statewide, high school teachers out-earn middle school teachers at the median by $3,880. High school medians across the state’s metro areas, by contrast, run from $48,500 in Kankakee to $98,970 in Chicago. Here’s what BLS reports for Illinois, each metro area, and the job outlook through 2034.
Illinois Math Teacher Salary by Grade Level
BLS has no separate math teacher category, so any figure for math teacher salary in Illinois comes from its high school and middle school teacher data. Those figures cover all subjects, math included. Illinois employed 44,670 high school teachers and 24,770 middle school teachers as of May 2025.
| Occupation | Employed | Median Annual Wage | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High School Teachers | 44,670 | $79,990 | $104,670 | $135,960 |
| Middle School Teachers | 24,770 | $76,110 | $94,520 | $105,580 |
What Top Earners Make in Illinois
Pay at the top end in Illinois runs well past the national figures. A quarter of the state’s high school teachers earned $104,670 or more as of May 2025, and the top 10% earned $135,960 or more. That 90th percentile is $55,970 above the state median and $28,360 above the national 90th percentile of $107,600.
Middle school pay is more compressed. Illinois’ 90th percentile for middle school teachers was $105,580, which is $29,470 above the middle school median and close to the national figure of $102,540. BLS percentiles aren’t experience levels, so don’t read the 90th percentile as what a 20-year veteran earns. Illinois districts set pay through their own salary schedules, so check the posted schedule for any district you apply to.
How Illinois Compares to the National Median
Illinois high school teachers earned $7,950 more than the national median of $72,040 as of May 2025. Middle school teachers sit further ahead, $11,740 above the national median of $64,370. You can compare teacher pay in every state on our national salary page.
Illinois also pays more than all five of its neighbors in both grade bands. Wisconsin comes closest, with a $62,870 high school median and $61,960 for middle school. Indiana math teacher salaries are similar, at $61,880 for high school and $60,700 for middle school.
Iowa math teacher salaries run $61,200 for high school and $60,450 for middle school, and Kentucky’s are $61,560 and $61,120. Missouri math teacher pay is the lowest of the five, at $59,240 for high school and $59,310 for middle school.
Math Teacher Salaries in Illinois Cities
High school medians across Illinois metro areas run from $48,500 in Kankakee to $98,970 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin as of May 2025. Chicago is the only metro above the $79,990 state figure, and Rockford comes close at $78,500. Among the metros entirely inside Illinois, Rockford leads both grade bands, with a $76,920 middle school median.
Grade band matters less than you might expect outside Chicago. In six of the 12 metros, middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers at the median: Kankakee, Springfield, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, Paducah, Cape Girardeau and St. Louis. Kankakee shows the widest gap, with a $59,800 middle school median against $48,500 for high school. Chicago runs the other way, where high school teachers lead by $20,970.
This table lists all 12 metro areas in the BLS data that include part of Illinois, with medians for both grade bands. The seven metros entirely inside Illinois come first. The five that cross into Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky or Missouri follow, Chicago among them, and their figures cover both sides of the state line.
| Metro Area | High School Median | Middle School Median | Employed (High / Middle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IL | $66,280 | $63,110 | 530 / 370 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $61,480 | $59,630 | 660 / 550 |
| Decatur, IL | $62,000 | $59,690 | 310 / 180 |
| Kankakee, IL | $48,500 | $59,800 | 420 / 280 |
| Peoria, IL | $61,620 | $61,220 | 1,230 / 920 |
| Rockford, IL | $78,500 | $76,920 | 880 / 750 |
| Springfield, IL | $72,510 | $75,570 | 750 / 540 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $98,970 | $78,000 | 32,790 / 17,300 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $61,960 | $62,800 | 1,170 / 790 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $61,540 | $62,470 | 250 / 220 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $48,570 | $56,090 | 290 / 100 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $62,130 | $62,180 | 9,870 / 5,650 |
Job Outlook for Math Teachers in Illinois
Illinois is one of the states where teaching employment is projected to grow. Projections Central estimates employment of high school teachers in Illinois will grow 2.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 46,220 to 47,340 jobs, with an average of 3,040 openings per year. Middle school teaching employment is projected to grow 2.0% over the same period, from 23,520 to 24,000 jobs, with an average of 1,630 openings per year.
These are Illinois-specific projections from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Together, the two grade bands add up to about 4,670 openings a year statewide. If you’re planning to fill one of them, start with the certification steps for math teachers in Illinois.
The national picture is flat. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects little or no change in employment of high school teachers from 2025 to 2035, from 1,087,500 to 1,085,000 jobs, with about 63,500 openings a year. Employment of middle school teachers is projected to go from 630,100 to 627,400 over the same period, also little or no change, with about 38,800 openings a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do math teachers make in Illinois?
High school teachers in Illinois earned a median annual salary of $79,990 as of May 2025, and middle school teachers earned $76,110, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS reports these figures for teachers of all subjects, including math.
Which Illinois city pays math teachers the most?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has the highest medians of any Illinois metro, at $98,970 for high school and $78,000 for middle school as of May 2025. That metro crosses into Indiana, so its figures include teachers on the Indiana side. Among metros entirely inside Illinois, Rockford leads, at $78,500 for high school.
Do high school math teachers earn more than middle school math teachers in Illinois?
Statewide, yes. High school teachers earned a $79,990 median as of May 2025, $3,880 more than middle school teachers. That doesn’t hold everywhere: in six of the 12 metro areas that include part of Illinois, middle school teachers earn more at the median.
Is Illinois adding math teaching jobs?
Yes, modestly. Projections Central estimates high school teaching employment in Illinois will grow 2.4% and middle school teaching employment 2.0% between 2024 and 2034. The state expects about 3,040 high school and 1,630 middle school openings each year, across all subjects.
How does Illinois math teacher pay compare to the national median?
Illinois’ high school median of $79,990 is $7,950 above the national median of $72,040 as of May 2025. The middle school gap is wider: Illinois’ $76,110 median sits $11,740 above the national $64,370.
- State median: Illinois high school teachers earned a $79,990 median and middle school teachers $76,110 as of May 2025, across all subjects.
- Location matters most: High school medians run from $48,500 in Kankakee to $98,970 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, a $50,470 spread.
- Grade band varies by metro: High school pays more statewide, but middle school teachers out-earn high school teachers at the median in six of 12 metros.
- Above the national median: Illinois beats the national high school median by $7,950 and the middle school median by $11,740, and tops all five neighboring states.
- Projected growth: Employment is projected to grow 2.4% for high school and 2.0% for middle school teachers by 2034, with about 4,670 openings a year.
2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Middle School Teachers and High School Teachers, which include teachers of all subjects. Job growth projections (2024-2034) are from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, Projections Central. Figures reflect state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026. National job outlook figures (2025-2035) are from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Pay in Illinois depends heavily on where you teach, so check whether a program can place your student teaching in the part of the state you’re aiming for. The schools listed here include online and part-time options for career changers who need to keep working while they certify.