The average salary for a clinical nurse specialist in Illinois is around $95,990 per year.
Avg Salary
Clinical nurse specialists earn an average yearly salary of $95,990.
Wages typically start from $69,170 and go up to $118,190.
28% above national average Updated in 2025
Clinical nurse specialist earnings by seniority
Top-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$56.82 per hour
$118,190 per year
Senior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$50.94 per hour
$105,960 per year
Mid-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$46.15 per hour
$95,990 per year
Junior-level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$38.47 per hour
$80,020 per year
Starting level clinical nurse specialist earnings begin at:
$33.26 per hour
$69,170 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Clinical nurse specialist salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Maryland | $99,790 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 |
| Delaware | $99,520 |
| Arizona | $99,500 |
| Vermont | $97,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 |
| Illinois | $95,990 |
| Texas | $95,970 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 |
| Michigan | $94,300 |
| Virginia | $93,600 |
| Georgia | $93,550 |
| Idaho | $92,460 |
| Maine | $86,990 |
| Montana | $85,280 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 |
| Utah | $84,600 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 |
| Florida | $84,190 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 |
| Indiana | $83,500 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 |
| Ohio | $82,510 |
| South Carolina | $82,360 |
| Missouri | $81,780 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 |
| Kansas | $79,320 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 |
| Iowa | $78,630 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 |
| Alabama | $77,080 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $60,950 |
| Guam | $57,320 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,800 |
| California | $140,270 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 |
| Oregon | $129,010 |
| Washington | $124,200 |
| Alaska | $109,480 |
| New York | $109,440 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 |
| Nevada | $103,670 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 |
| Colorado | $100,260 |
How do clinical nurse specialist salaries compare to similar careers?
Clinical nurse specialists earn about the same as related careers in Illinois. On average, they make less than occupational therapists but more than speech language pathologists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Occupational therapist salary | $100K |
| Diagnostic medical sonographer salary | $101K |
| Genetic counselor salary | $96K |
| Counseling psychologist salary | $84K |
| Clinical psychologist salary | $84K |
| Acute care nurse practitioner salary | $96K |
| Clinical nurse specialist salary | $96K |
| Registered nurse salary | $96K |
| Magnetic resonance imaging technologist salary | $95K |
| Speech language pathologist salary | $95K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)