Wages by Occupation in Kankakee, IL

Pay and jobs by occupation in the Kankakee, IL metropolitan area (BLS, May 2025). BLS counts about 42,340 jobs across all occupations here, with a median annual wage of $45,830 for all occupations combined. 183 occupations have a published median wage in this area.

Education and earnings of residents

Who lives in the Kankakee, IL area and what they earn, by education, from federal survey data (not a measure of any one employer or college).

21.2% of adults 25 and over in this area have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±1.2), compared with 35.7% nationally.

Prices of goods and services here run at 96.4 when the whole U.S. is 100 (housing 92.9; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024; estimates are revised). A higher number means prices are higher on average, not that the area is better or worse.

About 6,405 residents (6.2% of those 3 and older; U.S. 6.6%) are enrolled in college or graduate school, at any school (±424; ACS 2020-2024, Table B14001).

The unemployment rate in this area averaged 5.5% in 2025, with a labor force of about 50,047 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted annual average; estimates are model-based and revised).

25.4% of adults 25 to 34 have a bachelor’s degree or higher (±3.1), compared with 39.6% nationally (Table B15001).

Median yearly earnings by education, adults 25 and over who have earnings

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	$31,791	$32,485
High school graduate	$41,923	$40,153
Some college or associate's degree	$48,112	$47,260
Bachelor's degree	$64,737	$70,044
Graduate or professional degree	$77,216	$90,720

Poverty rate by education, adults 25 and over

Education	This area	United States
Less than high school	22.9% (±4.7)	24.2%
High school graduate	15.5% (±2.0)	14.4%
Some college or associate's degree	9.2% (±1.5)	9.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	1.7% (±0.7)	4.5%

What residents with a bachelor’s degree studied

Field of first major	This area	United States
Science and engineering	31.2%	36.1%
Science and engineering related fields	11.5%	10.0%
Business	19.1%	20.1%
Education	18.1%	10.9%
Arts, humanities and other	20.0%	23.0%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Tables B15003, B20004 (earnings shown only when the margin of error is at most 20% of the value), B23006 (unemployment shown only when every margin is at most 3 points), B17003 (margins of error at the 90% level; poverty shown only when every margin is at most 8 points) and C15010 (the Census Bureau’s own field groups, in a fixed order, not ranked). Describes residents of the area, not a prediction for any person; the Census Bureau has not endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice.

Wages by occupation

Occupation	Jobs	Median annual wage	Mean annual wage	Jobs per 1,000 jobs here	Concentration vs. U.S.
Accountants and Auditors	210	$71,610	$76,180	4.97	0.53
Administrative Services Managers	40	$87,490	$91,860	0.93	0.55
Animal Caretakers	70	$31,200	$32,950	1.74	1.01
Automotive Body and Related Repairers	40	$56,870	$60,720	0.99	1.03
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics	320	$45,190	$50,850	7.59	1.68
Bakers	100	$39,570	$38,880	2.40	1.58
Bartenders	290	$31,200	$35,970	6.86	1.41
Billing and Posting Clerks	180	$41,290	$44,020	4.16	1.60
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks	400	$47,240	$48,610	9.53	1.08
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	110	$58,230	$57,610	2.55	1.37
Bus Drivers, School	160	$44,870	$47,080	3.89	1.50
Business Operations Specialists, All Other	130	$80,020	$83,110	3.00	0.43
Butchers and Meat Cutters	60	$40,480	$42,020	1.31	1.49
Buyers and Purchasing Agents	100	$65,490	$75,800	2.36	0.75
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary	50	$65,950	$72,630	1.10	1.51
Carpenters	120	$95,280	$82,070	2.75	0.64
Cashiers	1,190	$31,200	$32,650	28.15	1.42
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers	40	$65,130	$69,390	1.03	0.78
Chefs and Head Cooks	40	$47,160	$51,650	0.88	0.68
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	140	$58,180	$62,240	3.36	1.33
Childcare Workers	210	$32,820	$33,920	4.96	1.49
Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment	160	$33,970	$36,710	3.71	1.52
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	820	$61,200	$63,950	19.37	9.05
Coaches and Scouts	100	$49,240	$52,850	2.29	1.43
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	70	$46,130	$50,150	1.63	1.60
Compliance Officers	50	$76,530	$78,230	1.10	0.41
Computer and Information Systems Managers	60	$133,150	$145,550	1.51	0.35
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators	40	$49,860	$51,380	1.06	0.97
Computer Systems Analysts	80	$80,190	$95,020	1.91	0.57
Computer User Support Specialists	80	$57,580	$58,170	1.96	0.42
Construction Laborers	200	$54,830	$60,470	4.82	0.68
Construction Managers	80	$92,820	$94,510	1.94	0.79
Cooks, Fast Food	80	$31,900	$32,300	1.88	0.46
Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria	230	$35,200	$37,300	5.55	1.96
Cooks, Restaurant	320	$35,560	$36,430	7.64	0.84
Cost Estimators	60	$75,230	$77,920	1.49	1.03
Counter and Rental Clerks	60	$35,600	$41,500	1.46	0.57
Court, Municipal, and License Clerks	80	$44,600	$49,160	1.79	1.55
Customer Service Representatives	480	$40,490	$45,160	11.30	0.68
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	50	$46,940	$49,530	1.20	1.09
Data Entry Keyers	70	$38,790	$40,190	1.59	1.95
Dental Assistants	60	$45,610	$46,450	1.40	0.56
Dental Hygienists	50	$78,430	$80,060	1.12	0.78
Dentists, General	40	$137,390	$171,710	0.85	1.06
Dining Room and Cafeteria Attendants and Bartender Helpers	130	$31,200	$32,790	2.99	0.86
Dishwashers	110	$31,200	$32,580	2.70	0.88
Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance	40	$48,730	$54,620	0.86	0.66
Driver/Sales Workers	70	$32,280	$38,830	1.63	0.62
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary	130	$99,470	$95,950	3.01	1.43
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors	100	$54,860	$58,140	2.42	1.06
Electricians	140	$105,500	$90,850	3.22	0.66
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education	360	$57,980	$60,140	8.41	0.94
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants	60	$67,450	$72,870	1.33	0.45
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors	70	$35,040	$43,890	1.71	0.82
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	50	$49,280	$52,870	1.30	3.31
Facilities Managers	60	$93,590	$100,500	1.32	1.31
Fast Food and Counter Workers	1,220	$31,220	$32,420	28.77	1.16
Financial and Investment Analysts	40	$84,370	$85,640	0.86	0.37
Financial Managers	170	$127,470	$138,860	4.04	0.75
Firefighters	120	$59,850	$62,900	2.93	1.32
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	140	$100,640	$95,960	3.25	0.62
First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers	30	$91,720	$99,250	0.78	1.21
First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	370	$37,320	$40,390	8.72	1.11
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	140	$69,420	$73,980	3.36	0.85
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	30	$76,780	$79,440	0.81	0.59
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers	220	$60,020	$64,680	5.31	0.58
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	300	$74,240	$74,920	7.12	1.64
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	330	$44,750	$48,790	7.80	1.08
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	140	$60,600	$62,650	3.21	0.80
Food Batchmakers	100	$38,270	$42,880	2.37	2.11
Food Preparation Workers	270	$31,200	$33,530	6.33	1.10
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant	240	$32,430	$33,580	5.58	2.95
Food Service Managers	100	$60,420	$74,400	2.42	1.58
General and Operations Managers	970	$93,310	$115,670	22.80	1.01
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	40	$44,130	$43,740	0.83	1.93
Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists	40	$31,200	$38,700	1.02	0.52
Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other	70	$47,450	$56,570	1.58	1.34
Healthcare Social Workers	50	$58,400	$59,680	1.10	0.91
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers	50	$62,570	$69,990	1.27	0.48
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers	760	$46,750	$50,830	17.96	1.35
Highway Maintenance Workers	100	$73,080	$67,520	2.35	2.35
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	590	$37,380	$37,510	13.95	0.50
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop	140	$31,200	$32,810	3.28	1.18
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks	60	$31,400	$33,100	1.40	0.83
Human Resources Managers	60	$121,560	$126,200	1.38	0.97
Human Resources Specialists	160	$63,720	$67,550	3.89	0.66
Industrial Engineers	80	$94,690	$94,330	1.91	0.81
Industrial Machinery Mechanics	130	$62,410	$66,420	3.15	1.12
Industrial Production Managers	120	$124,070	$130,930	2.88	1.82
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators	200	$46,320	$44,600	4.73	0.95
Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers	260	$48,880	$51,290	6.18	1.61
Instructional Coordinators	80	$60,300	$64,910	1.87	1.27
Insurance Sales Agents	70	$58,340	$66,580	1.74	0.56
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	570	$36,000	$38,410	13.43	0.95
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education	40	$56,960	$57,350	0.93	1.33
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand	1,190	$37,110	$39,270	28.01	1.48
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers	220	$37,100	$41,350	5.13	0.84
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers	80	$34,610	$33,910	1.88	1.48
Lawyers	50	$107,030	$142,730	1.30	0.27
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists	50	$56,090	$56,210	1.19	1.39
Library Assistants, Clerical	130	$33,290	$33,950	3.05	5.54
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses	240	$65,910	$67,410	5.61	1.34
Light Truck Drivers	270	$42,030	$47,300	6.31	1.00
Loan Interviewers and Clerks	50	$47,560	$47,100	1.15	1.08
Loan Officers	80	$62,570	$78,760	1.96	1.11
Logisticians	50	$77,460	$78,480	1.27	0.79
Machinists	100	$47,930	$55,360	2.46	1.33
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners	300	$34,510	$35,150	6.98	1.26
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	520	$58,400	$56,970	12.21	1.24
Management Analysts	—	$83,650	$96,910	—	—
Managers, All Other	100	$109,340	$124,030	2.43	0.61
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	100	$56,110	$62,010	2.29	0.40
Marketing Managers	40	$121,310	$141,620	0.98	0.38
Mechanical Engineers	40	$81,840	$90,190	0.99	0.52
Medical and Health Services Managers	250	$103,720	$114,340	5.99	1.56
Medical Assistants	210	$38,440	$40,820	4.95	0.94
Medical Records Specialists	40	$56,450	$57,150	1.01	0.81
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants	320	$37,660	$41,340	7.52	1.22
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	280	$59,800	$59,630	6.52	1.63
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators	500	$38,120	$42,260	11.80	1.31
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	210	$48,930	$51,600	4.94	8.09
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	50	$79,310	$87,540	1.11	0.55
Nurse Practitioners	100	$128,320	$124,680	2.32	1.12
Nursing Assistants	860	$37,900	$41,760	20.33	2.18
Occupational Therapists	40	$79,620	$87,200	0.95	0.91
Office Clerks, General	560	$40,450	$43,440	13.19	0.83
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators	90	$94,270	$90,890	2.16	0.70
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders	800	$45,480	$45,370	18.94	7.77
Packers and Packagers, Hand	120	$32,370	$34,850	2.75	0.76
Parking Attendants	30	$31,270	$34,090	0.73	0.83
Parts Salespersons	100	$36,460	$41,460	2.30	1.33
Pharmacists	90	$140,960	$141,610	2.20	1.06
Pharmacy Technicians	160	$39,190	$42,970	3.78	1.25
Phlebotomists	540	$40,230	$41,970	12.80	13.87
Physical Therapist Assistants	40	$64,960	$68,160	0.96	1.33
Physical Therapists	60	$99,770	$104,790	1.50	0.87
Physicians, All Other	200	$400,280	$307,680	4.80	2.18
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	110	$81,620	$82,810	2.62	0.88
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers	190	$78,840	$78,660	4.57	1.06
Postal Service Mail Carriers	120	$57,030	$59,670	2.81	1.33
Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education	190	$38,030	$43,210	4.52	1.47
Production Workers, All Other	130	$47,890	$52,160	2.99	1.85
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks	100	$55,580	$58,120	2.33	0.93
Project Management Specialists	70	$95,790	$100,770	1.70	0.25
Public Safety Telecommunicators	50	$61,010	$62,340	1.24	1.88
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians	70	$75,620	$77,570	1.57	1.06
Receptionists and Information Clerks	310	$35,620	$36,490	7.36	1.26
Recreation Workers	90	$36,270	$39,070	2.10	0.98
Registered Nurses	1,390	$86,220	$91,550	32.85	1.51
Rehabilitation Counselors	60	$53,060	$56,680	1.36	2.22
Residential Advisors	30	$37,530	$43,920	0.76	1.40
Respiratory Therapists	60	$84,490	$84,170	1.32	1.47
Retail Salespersons	1,140	$32,650	$35,410	26.94	1.07
Sales Managers	120	$135,330	$152,590	2.87	0.70
Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel	220	$55,410	$66,810	5.31	0.66
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	350	$66,500	$81,330	8.22	1.03
School Bus Monitors	60	$31,200	$34,140	1.34	2.65
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	420	$48,500	$56,440	9.96	1.45
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive	540	$44,740	$47,010	12.71	1.16
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents	70	$56,730	$76,910	1.69	0.54
Security Guards	310	$35,380	$41,030	7.35	0.89
Self-Enrichment Teachers	50	$43,980	$44,100	1.24	0.58
Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks	240	$42,240	$44,770	5.75	1.09
Shuttle Drivers and Chauffeurs	60	$35,580	$37,740	1.45	0.91
Social and Community Service Managers	50	$77,680	$76,700	1.25	0.93
Social and Human Service Assistants	230	$43,250	$51,530	5.42	1.93
Software Developers	60	$116,550	$115,700	1.37	0.13
Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School	110	$61,420	$62,930	2.67	1.59
Special Education Teachers, Middle School	50	$57,620	$56,700	1.08	1.76
Special Education Teachers, Secondary School	100	$62,610	$64,890	2.44	2.31
Speech-Language Pathologists	50	$77,210	$82,030	1.25	1.06
Stockers and Order Fillers	770	$33,110	$35,490	18.15	1.00
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors	130	$59,440	$63,060	2.99	0.94
Substitute Teachers, Short-Term	200	$36,700	$39,270	4.73	1.40
Surgical Technologists	40	$59,940	$58,370	1.00	1.33
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary	590	$35,430	$36,470	13.88	1.52
Tellers	140	$37,360	$38,750	3.21	1.52
Training and Development Specialists	110	$63,770	$68,440	2.54	0.86
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers	40	$107,910	$117,070	1.03	0.72
Waiters and Waitresses	550	$31,200	$34,960	12.94	0.89
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators	70	$59,870	$59,660	1.75	2.12
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	230	$47,460	$50,870	5.40	2.02
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	110	$37,850	$39,940	2.62	6.63

Colleges in this area

2 colleges in the federal directory have a campus in this area, listed alphabetically; MajorPays does not rank colleges. Each name links to the college’s profile.

College	Type	Level	Students, fall 2024
Kankakee Community College	Public	2-year	2,564
Olivet Nazarene University	Private nonprofit	4-year or above	3,339

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS directory (HD 2024, core-based statistical area of the campus) and Fall Enrollment 2024 (total headcount). A count of students is the size of the college, not its quality; the Department has not endorsed this presentation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, metropolitan area estimates (cross-industry, all ownerships). Wages are pay for all workers in an occupation in this area, not any one person or employer; a dash means BLS does not publish the figure (often to protect privacy or because the estimate is unreliable), and “or more” marks a wage at or above BLS’s top reporting limit. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of jobs in this area divided by its share nationally (1.00 = the same share as the U.S.; above 1.00 = a larger share); it says nothing about pay or openings. Jobs per 1,000 is the occupation's jobs per 1,000 jobs of all kinds in this area. Occupations that BLS reports only as hourly wages are not listed, and BLS shows some wages above its top limit as plain numbers while others read “or more”. Occupations are listed alphabetically; click a heading to sort. MajorPays does not rank places or occupations. MajorPays selected and reorganized these figures; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has not approved or endorsed this presentation. MajorPays does not provide advice. See Data sources.

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