4.7% higher than the US national median ($148,262)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Is this a competitive Sales Managers salary in Illinois in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$79K
P25$108K
P50$155K
P75$209K
P90$283K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- the broader market openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in private industry are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $155,272 to $208,666 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Sales Managers pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 7.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.1% wage growth of the broader market (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
the broader market is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 1.9% (BLS JOLTS).
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 4.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.1M (4.3% rate); hires 5.2M, separations 5.1M, quits steady at 1.9%. July openings revised up 64K to 7.3M.
Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.3M (4.4% rate), but hires fell to 5.1M and separations to 5.1M. Quits slipped to 1.9%. June openings revised down to 7.2M.
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: national job openings little changed at 7.4M (4.4% rate), hires flat at 5.3M, quits steady at 2.0%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS August 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The median salary for Sales Managers in Illinois is $155,272 per year ($74.65/hr). This is 4.7% higher than the national median of $148,262.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer. Coordinate sales distribution by establishing sales territories, quotas, and goals and establish training programs for sales representatives. Analyze sales statistics gathered by staff to determine sales potential and inventory requirements and monitor the preferences of customers.
Wage Percentiles: Illinois
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
vs National
P10Entry level
$37.87
$78,770
+7.6%
P25
$52.13
$108,430
+8.0%
P50MEDIAN
$74.65
$155,272
+4.7%
P75
$100.32
$208,666
+0.6%
P90Top earners
$136.00
$282,880
-2.6%
How Illinois compares for Sales Managers
Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national
Pay for Sales Managers in Illinois is above national (+7.6%) at entry but in line with national (-2.6%) at the top, so local pay sits relatively lower toward the senior end of the range.
An offer at the national median of $148,262 would sit at about the 46th percentile in Illinois.
The top of the range earns 3.59 times the bottom here against 3.97 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Illinois.
Illinois employs 32,240 people in this role, 5.1% of the national total.
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P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Sales Managers
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Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
49K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
620K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Automobile Dealers
NAICS 441100
39K
$138,970
Computer Systems Design and Related Services
NAICS 541500
38K
$180,460
Wage range across top 5 industries: $138,970 to $180,460 (30% spread)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median sales managers salary in Illinois?
The median (P50) annual salary for Sales Managers in Illinois is approximately $155,272, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 4.7% higher than the national median of $148,262. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
