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Accountant salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median accountant in Illinois earned $80,230 a year in May 2025[1], 4.1% below the US median of $83,680. That puts Illinois at #21 of 51 states for this job.

$80,230median annual wage
$114,614employer cost with benefits
$38.57median per hour
54,930people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 13-2011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$54,510$80,230$131,990
United States$56,020$83,680$144,090
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of accountants in Illinois earns $66,290–$102,270; the top tenth earns $131,990 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth.

What a hire really costs

Benefits and payroll taxes are 30.0% of total compensation in US private industry[2]. At the Illinois median that makes about $114,614 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for accountants we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$114,614local hire, first year incl. benefits
-remote hire, first year incl. fee
-difference in year one
-of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Illinois

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Springfield, IL
$86,440
$117,5901,600
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$82,360
$103,12041,360
Peoria, IL
$79,540
$102,1501,350
Decatur, IL
$76,720
$97,240260
Bloomington, IL
$76,510
$91,730750
Rockford, IL
$75,260
$96,650850
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$73,400
$86,800670
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$71,970
$88,090820
Kankakee, IL
$71,610
$87,690210
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$70,160
$89,5301,000
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$69,730
$82,840750
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$69,670
$88,100730

Springfield, IL pays the most ($86,440) and Champaign-Urbana, IL the least ($69,670): $16,770 a year apart for the same job.

What an accountant does

An accountant goes beyond bookkeeping: month-end close, financial statements, budgets, management reports and support for audits and tax filings.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Nevada
$81,600
+1.7%
Texas
$80,920
+0.9%
Illinois
$80,230
+0.0%
Utah
$79,990
-0.3%
Arizona
$79,970
-0.3%

Questions

How much does an accountant earn in Illinois?

The median was $80,230 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $66,290 to $102,270.

What does it cost to employ an accountant in Illinois?

About $114,614 a year at the median wage once benefits are added, using the 30% benefits share of US private industry (June 2026).

Where in Illinois do accountants earn the most?

Springfield, IL, with a median of $86,440 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

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Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes132011.htm
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.nr0.htm
  3. Silkstaff pricing: https://silkstaff.com/#pricing
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: https://www.deel.com/pricing/

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Data checked 2026-10-16.