Accountant salary in Rockford, IL
Hiring an accountant costs less in Rockford than in Illinois or the country as a whole. The median is $75,260 a year1: 6.2% below the Illinois statewide median of $80,230 and 10.1% below the US median of $83,680. Nationally it ranks #319 of 521 areas. About 850 accountants work here, 2% of the Illinois total.
BLS occupation 13-2011, area Rockford, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rockford against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | $47,960 | $75,260 | $115,990 | |
| Illinois | $54,510 | $80,230 | $131,990 | |
| United States | $56,020 | $83,680 | $144,090 |
The middle half of accountants in Rockford earns $59,120–$96,650. The top tenth earns $115,990 or more, 2.4 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 2.6 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $37,530 wide, between the figure for Illinois ($35,980) and the US figure ($42,790).
What to budget for an accountant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,960 | $3,997 | $23.06 | $61,884 |
| 25th percentile | $59,120 | $4,927 | $28.42 | $76,284 |
| Median | $75,260 | $6,272 | $36.18 | $97,110 |
| 75th percentile | $96,650 | $8,054 | $46.47 | $124,710 |
| 90th percentile | $115,990 | $9,666 | $55.76 | $149,665 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $21,390 a year in pay and about $27,600 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $16,140 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $83,680 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Rockford, and the Illinois statewide median of $80,230 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rockford
At the $75,260 median, a local hire costs about $97,110 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $21,850 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. 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 fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Rockford
Of the 17 roles we track in Rockford, this one ranks #2 by median pay, after project coordinators ($94,690); office managers come next at $65,740.
| Role | Median | vs accountant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Coordinator | +25.8% | 390 | |
| Accountant | this role | 850 | |
| Office Manager | -12.6% | 750 | |
| Recruiter | -13.0% | 650 | |
| Executive Assistant | -17.5% | 160 |
Measured against the US median, accountants rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Rockford (-10.1%), between bookkeepers (-7.7%) and HR assistants (-11.0%). The typical role here is at -5.4%, so, measured against the US, accountants cost less in Rockford than the area's general pay level would suggest. Accountants hold 7.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rockford, 9.0% across Illinois and 9.1% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 12 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $69,670 in Champaign-Urbana to $86,440 in Springfield, a gap of $16,770 a year. Of the 4 areas in Illinois with more accountants than Rockford, 1 pays less: the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($70,160).
| Area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria, IL | +5.7% | 1,350 | |
| Decatur, IL | +1.9% | 260 | |
| Bloomington, IL | +1.7% | 750 | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 850 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | -2.5% | 670 | |
| East Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -4.4% | 820 | |
| Kankakee, IL | -4.8% | 210 |
Rockford against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rockford is #225 of 521 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Illinois, Knoxville and Abilene pay just above Rockford and Fort Wayne and Hagerstown-Martinsburg just below. All four are within $150 a year of the median in Rockford. Of the three markets with about as many accountants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rockford | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene, TX | +0.2% | 550 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | +0.2% | 3,240 | pay | |
| Rockford, IL | this area | 850 | ||
| Fort Wayne, IN | -0.0% | 1,640 | pay | |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | -0.0% | 660 | pay | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | -1.0% | 850 | jobs | |
| Flint, MI | -1.0% | 860 | jobs | |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY | -5.9% | 850 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an accountant in Rockford, IL?
About $97,110 a year at the median, or $8,092 a month: $75,260 in pay plus about $21,850 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for accountants in Rockford?
The median was $75,260 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $47,960, the 90th $115,990, and the middle half earned $59,120 to $96,650.
Is Rockford cheaper than the rest of Illinois for accountants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $75,260 against $80,230 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is Bloomington at $76,510, the next down the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area at $73,400.
How many accountants work in Rockford?
BLS counts about 850 in the May 2025 survey. That is 2% of the Illinois total of 54,930. 4 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is the West Central Illinois nonmetro area, with about 1,000.
Does an accountant cost more than an office manager in Rockford?
Yes: $9,520 a year more at the median. The medians are $75,260 and $65,740.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-2011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.