Bookkeeper salary in Kankakee, IL
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Kankakee than in Illinois or the country as a whole. The median is $47,240 a year1: 4.7% below the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 and 6.8% below the US median of $50,670. Nationally it ranks #278 of 521 areas. About 400 bookkeepers work here.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Kankakee, IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Kankakee against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | $35,140 | $47,240 | $64,490 | |
| Illinois | $32,360 | $49,560 | $71,480 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Kankakee earns $39,930–$55,660. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $64,490, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $15,730 wide, against $17,450 across Illinois and $17,950 nationally: employers in Kankakee pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,140 | $2,928 | $16.89 | $45,342 |
| 25th percentile | $39,930 | $3,328 | $19.20 | $51,523 |
| Median | $47,240 | $3,937 | $22.71 | $60,955 |
| 75th percentile | $55,660 | $4,638 | $26.76 | $71,819 |
| 90th percentile | $64,490 | $5,374 | $31.00 | $83,213 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $8,420 a year in pay and about $10,865 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,310 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 $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Kankakee, and the Illinois statewide median of $49,560 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Kankakee
At the $47,240 median, a local hire costs about $60,955 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,715 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 bookkeepers 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 Kankakee
Of the 13 roles we track in Kankakee, this one ranks #8 by median pay, between sales development representatives ($55,410) and administrative assistants ($44,740). Project Coordinator is the highest at $95,790.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +18.8% | 100 | |
| Sales Development Representative | +17.3% | 220 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 400 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -5.3% | 540 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | -14.3% | 480 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #5 of the 13 roles we track in Kankakee (-6.8%), between project coordinators (-6.4%) and customer support specialists (-9.6%). The typical role here is at -11.9%, so, measured against the US, bookkeepers cost more in Kankakee than the area's general pay level would suggest. Bookkeepers hold 12.7% of the jobs in these 13 roles in Kankakee, 8.8% across Illinois and 9.1% 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 $45,220 in Bloomington to $51,440 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $6,220 a year. Of the 10 areas in Illinois with more bookkeepers than Kankakee, 6 pay less, the largest of them the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($45,760), the East Central Illinois nonmetro area ($46,430) and the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area ($46,340).
| Area | Median | vs Kankakee | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | +3.4% | 710 | |
| Decatur, IL | +2.0% | 330 | |
| Peoria, IL | +0.9% | 1,390 | |
| Kankakee, IL | this area | 400 | |
| Rockford, IL | -1.0% | 1,020 | |
| East Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | -1.7% | 1,390 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | -1.9% | 1,340 |
Kankakee against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Kankakee is #472 of 521 US areas for this job. The market is small, and its pay sits near the middle of the US range. Outside Illinois, Pittsburgh and Gettysburg pay just above Kankakee and Pensacola-Ferry Pass and Oklahoma City just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in Kankakee. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Kankakee | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | +2.7% | 400 | jobs | |
| Gettysburg, PA | +0.0% | 290 | pay | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | +0.0% | 9,250 | pay | |
| Kankakee, IL | this area | 400 | ||
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass, FL | +0.0% | 1,660 | pay | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | -0.2% | 6,470 | pay | |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | -4.8% | 400 | jobs | |
| Cleveland, TN | -7.6% | 400 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Kankakee, IL?
About $60,955 a year at the median, or $5,080 a month: $47,240 in pay plus about $13,715 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for bookkeepers in Kankakee?
The median was $47,240 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,140, the 90th $64,490, and the middle half earned $39,930 to $55,660.
Is Kankakee cheaper than the rest of Illinois for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $47,240 against $49,560 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is Peoria at $47,670, the next down Rockford at $46,790.
How many bookkeepers work in Kankakee?
BLS counts about 400 in the May 2025 survey. 10 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is Bloomington, with about 590.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an administrative assistant in Kankakee?
Yes: $2,500 a year more at the median. The medians are $47,240 and $44,740.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: 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.