Jobs, pay and daily life in Springfield, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Springfield is a city in Illinois with 113,330 residents. The median household earns $66,064 a year and the median rent is $975 a month, which is 17.7% of the median household income. It is part of the Springfield, IL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 100,810 jobs.
How Springfield compares. Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, Springfield is #7 by population, #7 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #12 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #78 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Sangamon County, is #9 of 102 counties for average pay ($69,350).
Springfield has 113,330 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.9% of the population of Illinois. It covers 61 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,850 people per square mile. The median age is 41.0, 5% older than the state median (41.0 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $975 a month (rent plus utilities), 23% below the state median ($975 against $1,274). Over a year that is 17.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $162,100, which is 2.5 times the median household income ($66,064); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 64.3% of households own their home, 4% below the state average (64.3% against 67.1%).
The Springfield, IL metropolitan area has 100,810 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $52,670 a year, 3% above the national median ($52,670 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (13,470 jobs, median $46,150); healthcare practitioners and technical (10,110 jobs, median $82,980); business and financial operations (9,100 jobs, median $81,590). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.6 times) and business and financial operations (1.3 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($110,390) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($82,980). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Sangamon County was 3.6%. 58.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Sangamon County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 74.7% drive alone, 1.4% use public transit, 1.8% walk, 14.5% work from home. 5.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 71% below the state average (5.8% against 19.7%).
36.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 4% below the state share (36.3% against 37.9%). 4.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 67% below the state share (4.9% against 14.8%). The poverty rate is 16.8%, 43% above the state rate (16.8% against 11.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 76°F (24.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 26°F (-3.2°C). About 1,001 mm (39 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (117 mm) and Feb the driest (54 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Decatur (38 miles, rent 13% lower); Pekin (54 miles, rent 16% lower); Bloomington (59 miles, rent 8% higher); Normal (61 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Springfield; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Illinois (1,067) →State guide: IllinoisCountry guideSangamon CountyIllinois rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,067 federal postings open in Illinois (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Illinois →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 4,110 | 1.87 | $84,220 | $69,170 | $107,140 | -14% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,610 | 1.15 | $95,990 | $49,520 | $212,190 | -9% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,570 | 1.02 | $33,450 | $31,200 | $45,220 | -6% |
| Cashiers | 2,440 | 1.22 | $31,920 | $31,200 | $36,370 | -3% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,310 | 1.44 | $47,990 | $31,400 | $64,790 | +7% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 2,290 | 0.82 | $37,900 | $34,800 | $43,730 | +6% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 2,170 | 3.08 | $95,990 | $59,710 | $136,790 | +16% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,760 | 0.70 | $31,350 | $31,200 | $36,210 | +0% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1,680 | 1.17 | $37,170 | $31,200 | $56,910 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,600 | 1.09 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $45,680 | -11% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,600 | 1.70 | $86,440 | $57,590 | $141,590 | +3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 1,510 | 0.90 | $40,230 | $31,210 | $59,950 | -10% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,500 | 0.82 | $34,770 | $31,200 | $45,940 | -7% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 1,330 | 2.13 | $43,350 | $38,890 | $48,410 | -6% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 1,300 | 0.68 | $38,160 | $31,200 | $50,020 | -5% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,290 | 1.16 | $47,550 | $34,060 | $72,680 | +0% |
| Nursing Assistants | 1,120 | 1.20 | $40,070 | $38,050 | $48,160 | -5% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 1,020 | 1.10 | $33,740 | $31,200 | $43,110 | -8% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 1,000 | 1.12 | $62,340 | $48,270 | $99,020 | -3% |
| Human Resources Specialists | 950 | 1.61 | $78,840 | $51,130 | $110,390 | +4% |
These figures are for the whole Springfield, IL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $52,670 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.6% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 28.4% |
| Public administration | 13.9% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.5% |
| Retail trade | 9.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.8% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.8% |
| Manufacturing | 6.2% |
| Other services | 4.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.2% |
| Construction | 3.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.6% |
| Information | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Springfield lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sangamon County | 194,947 | $15,669 million | $80,374 | 134,376 | 4,970 | $69,350 | +4.7% | 3.6% | 91,562 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 19,916 | 25.7% | $76,395 | 1.03 |
| Retail trade | 11,178 | 14.4% | $36,532 | 0.83 |
| Accommodation and food services | 8,624 | 11.1% | $25,720 | 0.71 |
| Administrative and waste services | 5,224 | 6.7% | $47,731 | 0.66 |
| Professional and technical services | 4,670 | 6.0% | $85,998 | 0.50 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4,399 | 5.7% | $53,389 | 1.09 |
| Finance and insurance | 4,232 | 5.5% | $88,756 | 0.78 |
| Manufacturing | 3,631 | 4.7% | $57,480 | 0.33 |
| Construction | 3,463 | 4.5% | $73,036 | 0.49 |
| Information | 3,035 | 3.9% | $89,020 | 1.21 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,933 | 3.8% | $91,211 | 0.55 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,736 | 2.2% | $59,369 | 0.31 |
| Educational services | 1,373 | 1.8% | $42,811 | 0.49 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,335 | 1.7% | $21,258 | 0.59 |
| Real estate and rental | 841 | 1.1% | $47,969 | 0.40 |
| Management of companies | 590 | 0.8% | $115,046 | 0.26 |
| Utilities | 361 | 0.5% | $115,639 | 0.71 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 74.7% |
| Public transit | 1.4% |
| Walk | 1.8% |
| Work from home | 14.5% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 5.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,064 |
| Income per person | $42,670 |
| Median gross rent per month | $975 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.7% |
| Median home value | $162,100 |
| Homeowners | 64.3% |
| Poverty rate | 16.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 92.7 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $52,670 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 41.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 93.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 36.3% |
| Born abroad | 4.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 58.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3.2 | 26 | 55 |
| Feb | -1.5 | 29 | 54 |
| Mar | 5.0 | 41 | 70 |
| Apr | 11.9 | 53 | 103 |
| May | 17.6 | 64 | 117 |
| Jun | 22.6 | 73 | 114 |
| Jul | 24.6 | 76 | 100 |
| Aug | 23.8 | 75 | 86 |
| Sep | 20.0 | 68 | 80 |
| Oct | 12.5 | 54 | 90 |
| Nov | 5.5 | 42 | 68 |
| Dec | -0.5 | 31 | 64 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | IL | 38 mi | 69,815 | $51,592 | $845 |
| Pekin | IL | 54 mi | 31,781 | $60,790 | $819 |
| Bloomington | IL | 59 mi | 78,907 | $77,384 | $1,050 |
| Normal | IL | 61 mi | 53,569 | $64,785 | $965 |
| Peoria | IL | 66 mi | 112,169 | $59,410 | $1,005 |
| Alton | IL | 67 mi | 25,279 | $54,568 | $1,015 |
| Edwardsville | IL | 72 mi | 26,474 | $86,721 | $1,306 |
| Old Jamestown | MO | 74 mi | 20,651 | $99,521 | $1,835 |
| Spanish Lake | MO | 76 mi | 17,873 | $55,920 | $1,160 |
| Champaign | IL | 76 mi | 89,996 | $56,118 | $1,123 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
113,330 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$975 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.7% of the median household income.
$66,064 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.6% (BLS county, Sangamon County (latest month 2026M09)).
Illinois. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.