By State · Illinois

Women in Illinois: Pay, Representation, and Firsts

Everything the data says about women in Illinois — pay, legislature representation, historical firsts, and how the state ranks against the rest of the US.

81.4%
Women’s earnings as % of men’s in Illinois
Census ACS S2001
#26
of 51 US jurisdictions for pay equity (1 = highest)
Computed from state ratios
38.4%
Women in the Illinois state legislature
CAWP Rutgers 2024
#10
Rank for women’s legislative representation
Computed from CAWP data
6
Women from Illinois in 119th US Congress
CAWP 2025
—
Year of first woman governor (never)
CAWP State Executive

Where Illinois sits

Women in Illinois earn 81.4 cents for every dollar men earn — a gap of 18.6%. That puts Illinois #26 out of the 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity. The women-in-legislature figure of 38.4% ranks Illinois #10 nationally.

Notable firsts & figures

Carol Moseley Braun (1993-99) — first Black woman US Senator. Tammy Duckworth — first woman of color elected US Senator from Illinois; first US Senator to give birth while in office (2018).

Professions in Illinois

State-adjusted pay and gap figures for women in 20 common professions in Illinois. Each page combines national BLS medians with Illinois’s Census ACS wage environment.

SurgeonsWomen surgeons in IllinoisDoctorsWomen doctors in IllinoisLawyersWomen lawyers in IllinoisRegistered NursesWomen nurses in IllinoisSoftware DevelopersWomen software developers in IllinoisChief ExecutivesWomen CEOs in IllinoisEngineersWomen engineers in IllinoisElementary TeachersWomen teachers in IllinoisAccountantsWomen accountants in IllinoisProfessorsWomen professors in IllinoisDentistsWomen dentists in IllinoisPharmacistsWomen pharmacists in IllinoisArchitectsWomen architects in IllinoisPsychologistsWomen psychologists in IllinoisAirline PilotsWomen airline pilots in IllinoisElectriciansWomen electricians in IllinoisPlumbersWomen plumbers in IllinoisPolice OfficersWomen police officers in IllinoisJournalistsWomen journalists in IllinoisFinancial AnalystsWomen financial analysts in Illinois

Fields in Illinois

AcademiaWomen in Academia in IllinoisConstruction and the Skilled Trades (2026)Women in Construction and the Skilled Trades (2026) in IllinoisEngineeringWomen in Engineering in IllinoisFinanceWomen in Finance in IllinoisLawWomen in Law in IllinoisMedicineWomen in Medicine in IllinoisSportsWomen in Sports in IllinoisTechWomen in Tech in IllinoisUS PoliticsWomen in US Politics in Illinois

Related national data

HistoricalWomen at work, 2000 NationalWomen in US politics ToolPay Gap Lookup (Illinois) CompareWomen vs men at work HubAll 51 US states

Frequently asked

What is the gender pay gap in Illinois?

Women in Illinois earn 81.4% of what men earn — a gap of 18.6%. Census ACS S2001 data.

How many women are in Illinois’s state legislature?

38.4% of Illinois state legislators are women — rank #10 nationally among 51 US jurisdictions (CAWP 2024).

Has Illinois elected a woman governor?

No — Illinois has never elected a woman governor.

Has Illinois elected a woman US Senator?

Yes — the first woman US Senator from Illinois took office in 1992.

How many women does Illinois send to Congress?

6 women from Illinois serve in the 119th US Congress (House + Senate, 2025-27).