Salaries in Peoria, IL

You might assume a mid-sized Midwestern city like Peoria is a cheap place to live with low wages. But the math tells a different story. The median income here is $52,796, which feels modest until you see what that money actually buys.

The cost of living index is 88.6—about 11% cheaper than the national average. That’s not a statistical fluke; it’s your grocery bill, your utility bill, and especially your rent. A one-bedroom apartment runs about $756 a month. When you adjust salaries for that low cost of living, the average job here feels like it pays $75,327 nationally. That’s real purchasing power, and honestly, it’s more than I expected for a city of 113,000 people.

This isn't a tech boomtown. It’s a healthcare and manufacturing hub. You’ll find your highest earners in marketing and software, but the backbone of the local economy is the hospital systems and the industrial giants that have been here for decades. The unemployment rate is a healthy 4.5%, and nearly 39% of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, which helps explain why the top-end salaries are as strong as they are.

Here’s the catch: wages aren’t exactly racing ahead of inflation. The $52,796 median is a real figure, and it hasn’t changed dramatically. This city works best for people with in-demand skills—like a pharmacist or a construction manager—or for anyone who can work remotely for a coastal company while paying Peoria rent. If you’re just starting out, the low entry-level pay can feel limiting.

The data below breaks it all down, from what a software developer actually takes home to whether that marketing manager salary is a real outlier.