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Administrative Assistant salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median administrative assistant in Illinois earned $48,310 a year in May 2025[1], 1.6% above the US median of $47,540. That puts Illinois at #17 of 51 states for this job.

$48,310median annual wage
$69,014employer cost with benefits
$23.23median per hour
74,280people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 43-6014. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$31,930$48,310$76,790
United States$33,280$47,540$66,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of administrative assistants in Illinois earns $39,050–$61,180; the top tenth earns $76,790 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 $69,014 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 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$69,014local 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
Bloomington, IL
$51,880
$64,610930
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$50,440
$62,97050,190
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$48,260
$63,2001,220
Springfield, IL
$47,550
$60,1101,290
Peoria, IL
$46,550
$56,3202,010
Rockford, IL
$46,130
$56,8401,360
Decatur, IL
$45,890
$53,210500
Kankakee, IL
$44,740
$53,960540
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$44,150
$51,4301,670
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$43,870
$50,1901,860
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$41,150
$49,1402,290
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$37,040
$46,8802,700

Bloomington, IL pays the most ($51,880) and South Illinois nonmetropolitan area the least ($37,040): $14,840 a year apart for the same job.

What an administrative assistant does

An administrative assistant keeps the office running on paper and online: documents, data, scheduling, orders and the many small requests that land on a small team every day.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Maryland
$48,680
+0.8%
Alaska
$48,530
+0.5%
Illinois
$48,310
+0.0%
New Hampshire
$48,080
-0.5%
Delaware
$47,970
-0.7%

Questions

How much does an administrative assistant earn in Illinois?

The median was $48,310 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $39,050 to $61,180.

What does it cost to employ an administrative assistant in Illinois?

About $69,014 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 administrative assistants earn the most?

Bloomington, IL, with a median of $51,880 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

Hire administrative assistants remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6014: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436014.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.