Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education pay in Illinois
$45,150avg. a year
$21.71 an hour · 22,420 employed
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education in Illinois earn an average of $45,150 a year. That is $2,120 (5%) more than the U.S. average of $43,030. The best-paying metro area is Rockford, IL at $50,870.
$40,910Median pay
$21.71Average hourly
+28%Avg. pay since 2020
#19Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying Illinois metro areas
Average pay for preschool teachers, except special education by metro area. Swipe to see all 12.
1380 jobs
Rockford, IL
$50,870
$24.46 an hour
217,180 jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$45,740
$21.99 an hour
3630 jobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$44,570
$21.43 an hour
4130 jobs
Decatur, IL
$44,280
$21.29 an hour
5190 jobs
Kankakee, IL
$43,210
$20.77 an hour
6450 jobs
Springfield, IL
$42,090
$20.24 an hour
7590 jobs
Peoria, IL
$40,520
$19.48 an hour
8310 jobs
Bloomington, IL
$40,490
$19.47 an hour
93,680 jobs
St. Louis, MO-IL
$40,290
$19.37 an hour
10580 jobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$38,620
$18.57 an hour
11240 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$34,950
$16.81 an hour
12120 jobs
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
$32,740
$15.74 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education pay in Illinois, charted
Pay over time
Illinois, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where Illinois preschool teachers, except special education work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Related jobs in Illinois
- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education$74,630
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$89,320
- Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$75,870
- Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$77,170
- Special Education Teachers, Secondary School$86,150
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School$85,750
Average pay, Illinois, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do preschool teachers, except special education make in Illinois?
The average is $45,150 a year, and the median is $40,910. That is $2,120 (5%) more than the U.S. average of $43,030.
What is the hourly wage in Illinois?
$21.71 an hour on average; the median is $19.67.
Where in Illinois do they earn the most?
Rockford, IL ($50,870), followed by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($45,740). The lowest average among 12 metro areas with data is Cape Girardeau, MO-IL ($32,740).
How does Illinois rank?
Illinois ranks #19 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 25-2011. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national preschool teachers, except special education page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.