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Administrative Assistant salary in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area

The East Central Illinois nonmetro area is a lower-cost market for administrative assistants: the median of $43,870 a year1 is 9.2% below the Illinois statewide median of $48,310, and 7.7% below the US median of $47,540. Among US areas it comes in at #295 of 520. BLS counts about 1,860 people in this job here, 3% of the Illinois total.

$3,656median pay per month in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area
$4,717employer cost per month with benefits
$21.09median pay per hour
1,860people in this job in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area

BLS occupation 43-6014, area East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.

Pay in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area against Illinois and the US

Range10thMedian90th
East Central Illinois (Nonmetro)$31,200$43,870$60,230
Illinois$31,930$48,310$76,790
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

Administrative assistants at the 90th percentile earn $60,230, 1.9 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of administrative assistants in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area earns $36,490–$50,190. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $13,700 wide, against $22,130 across Illinois and $19,170 nationally: employers in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.

What to budget for an administrative assistant here

Point in the local rangePer yearPer monthPer hourEmployer cost per year
10th percentile$31,200$2,600$15.00$40,258
25th percentile$36,490$3,041$17.54$47,084
Median$43,870$3,656$21.09$56,606
75th percentile$50,190$4,182$24.13$64,761
90th percentile$60,230$5,019$28.96$77,716

An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,320 a year in pay and about $8,155 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,380 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 $47,540 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area, and the Illinois statewide median of $48,310 falls there too.

What a hire really costs in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area

Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $12,736 to the $43,870 median and brings it to $56,606 a year. 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 administrative assistants 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.

$56,606local hire, first year incl. benefits
$13,888remote hire, first year incl. fee
$42,718difference in year one
75%of the local cost saved

Other roles in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area

Of the 17 roles we track in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between HR assistants ($44,980) and customer support specialists ($41,900). Project Coordinator is the highest at $86,680.

The 5 roles closest in pay. All 17 roles in East Central Illinois (Nonmetro)
RoleMedianvs administrative assistantJobs
Medical Administrative Assistant
$45,030
+2.6%820
HR Assistant
$44,980
+2.5%130
Administrative Assistant
$43,870
this role1,860
Customer Support Specialist
$41,900
-4.5%1,860
Data Entry Specialist
$37,900
-13.6%130

Measured against the US median, administrative assistants rank #6 of the 17 roles we track in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area (-7.7%), between paralegals (-7.4%) and data entry specialists (-8.3%). The typical role here is at -8.5%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Administrative assistants hold 16.4% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area, 12.1% across Illinois and 10.8% nationally. The job is a bigger 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 $37,040 in the South Illinois nonmetro area to $51,880 in Bloomington, a gap of $14,840 a year. Of the 4 areas in Illinois with more administrative assistants than the East Central Illinois nonmetro area, 2 pay less: the South Illinois nonmetro area ($37,040) and the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($41,150).

AreaMedianvs the East Central Illinois nonmetro areaJobs
Rockford, IL
$46,130
+5.2%1,360
Decatur, IL
$45,890
+4.6%500
Kankakee, IL
$44,740
+2.0%540
Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro)
$44,150
+0.6%1,670
East Central Illinois (Nonmetro)
$43,870
this area1,860
West Central Illinois (Nonmetro)
$41,150
-6.2%2,290
South Illinois (Nonmetro)
$37,040
-15.6%2,700

the East Central Illinois nonmetro area against other US metro areas

By number of jobs, the East Central Illinois nonmetro area is #167 of 520 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Illinois, Lebanon and Decatur pay just above the East Central Illinois nonmetro area and Springfield and Logan just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many administrative assistants, two pay more.

Metro areaMedianvs the East Central Illinois nonmetro areaJobsClose in
Modesto, CA
$55,140
+25.7%1,830jobs
Springfield, MA
$51,460
+17.3%1,900jobs
Decatur, AL
$43,900
+0.1%1,260pay
Lebanon, PA
$43,900
+0.1%630pay
East Central Illinois (Nonmetro)
$43,870
this area1,860
Springfield, OH
$43,840
-0.1%460pay
Logan, UT-ID
$43,780
-0.2%540pay
Jefferson City, MO
$40,980
-6.6%1,880jobs

Questions

How much does it cost to hire an administrative assistant in East Central Illinois (Nonmetro)?

About $56,606 a year at the median, or $4,717 a month: $43,870 in pay plus about $12,736 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.

What do administrative assistants earn in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area?

The median was $43,870 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,200, the 90th $60,230, and the middle half earned $36,490 to $50,190.

Is the East Central Illinois nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Illinois for administrative assistants?

Yes, it costs less: a median of $43,870 against $48,310 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area at $44,150, the next down the West Central Illinois nonmetro area at $41,150.

How many administrative assistants work in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area?

BLS counts about 1,860 in the May 2025 survey. That is 3% of the Illinois total of 74,280. 4 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is Peoria, with about 2,010.

Does an administrative assistant cost more than a customer support specialist in the East Central Illinois nonmetro area?

Yes: $1,970 a year more at the median. The medians are $43,870 and $41,900.

Sources

4 sources, with links
  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: bls.gov
  2. BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
  3. Stafka pricing: stafka.com
  4. Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com

How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.