Illinois · reported pay
Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61 teacher salary
- Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61 starts a teacher with a bachelor's degree at $44,571 and tops that lane at $59,288 after 19 years.
- With a master's the schedule starts at $47,736 and reaches $65,723 after 23 years.
- The highest salary it reports is $68,941, reached at 25 years of service.
- Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61 enrolls 299 students.
- Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61 reports that it sets teacher pay by policy rather than a salary schedule, so these are the figures it reported, not a grid.
- These are the reference points Illinois collects from the district, for 2025-26. They are not the full step grid.
What the district reports paying
| Lane | Starting | Maximum | Years to max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | $44,571 | $59,288 | 19 |
| Master's | $47,736 | $65,723 | 23 |
| Master's + 30 | $49,319 | $68,941 | – |
The district reports its current agreement expiring 6/2026.
Where it stands in the state
Of the 873 Illinois districts reporting a starting figure, Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61's $44,571 ranks 593rd; the median is $47,000, so it is $2,429 below it.
Its top reported figure, $68,941, ranks 793rd of 866 against a median of $92,247.
A master's degree adds $3,165 at the start (7.1%).
The bachelor's lane grows 33.0% over 19 years, about $775 a year.
Illinois districts of similar size, by the figures they report
| District | Students | Starting | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester-East Lincoln CCSD 61 | 299 | $44,571 | $68,941 |
| Thompsonville CUSD 174 | 299 | $42,411 | – |
| Central City SD 133 | 298 | $39,172 | $84,647 |
| Waltonville CUSD 1 | 301 | $40,821 | $68,794 |
| Bement CUSD 5 | 297 | $44,563 | $88,717 |
| Central Stickney SD 110 | 304 | $55,190 | $109,293 |
Where this comes from
Illinois State Board of Education, Teacher Salary Study publishes Every district's salary schedule in reference points (Teacher Salary Study 2025-26), which every Illinois district files each year. The full step-and-lane grid is published by the district itself; this page carries the figures the state collects, which is what the salary-estimate sites do not have.