Data Entry Specialist salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN
No other area in Illinois pays data entry specialists more than Chicago-Naperville: the median is $44,650 a year1. That is 4.2% above the Illinois statewide median of $42,840, and 8.0% above the US median of $41,340. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#62 of 394). With about 4,270 data entry specialists, no area in Illinois employs more.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Chicago-Naperville against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | $31,200 | $44,650 | $61,660 | |
| Illinois | $31,200 | $42,840 | $59,920 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Chicago-Naperville earns $38,000–$48,880. The top tenth earns $61,660 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.9 times. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $10,880 wide, between the figure for Illinois ($10,590) and the US figure ($12,650).
What to budget for a data entry specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,200 | $2,600 | $15.00 | $40,258 |
| 25th percentile | $38,000 | $3,167 | $18.27 | $49,032 |
| Median | $44,650 | $3,721 | $21.47 | $57,613 |
| 75th percentile | $48,880 | $4,073 | $23.50 | $63,071 |
| 90th percentile | $61,660 | $5,138 | $29.64 | $79,561 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $4,230 over it, while the 25th sits $6,650 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $5,458 more a year with benefits. 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 $41,340 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Chicago-Naperville, and the Illinois statewide median of $42,840 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Chicago-Naperville
At the $44,650 median, a local hire costs about $57,613 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $12,963 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 data entry specialists 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 Chicago-Naperville
Of the 17 roles we track in Chicago-Naperville, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($47,100) and virtual receptionists ($38,060). Project Coordinator is the highest at $105,320.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +7.3% | 2,970 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +6.8% | 20,020 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +5.5% | 75,240 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 4,270 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -14.8% | 30,540 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Chicago-Naperville (+8.0%), between paralegals (+12.2%) and payroll specialists (+8.0%). The typical role here is at +3.0%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost more in Chicago-Naperville than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Chicago-Naperville, 1.0% across Illinois and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Illinois
Across the 11 areas of Illinois with data for this job, the median runs from $36,240 in the West Central Illinois nonmetro area to $44,650 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $8,410 a year. No other area in Illinois has as many data entry specialists, and all 10 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Chicago-Naperville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | this area | 4,270 | |
| Springfield, IL | -0.9% | 170 | |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | -5.1% | 50 | |
| South Illinois (Nonmetro) | -7.3% | 60 | |
| Rockford, IL | -9.5% | 160 | |
| Peoria, IL | -9.7% | 110 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | -12.6% | 80 |
Chicago-Naperville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Chicago-Naperville is #5 of 389 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Illinois, Merced and Coeur d'Alene pay just above Chicago-Naperville and Sioux City and Nashville-Murfreesboro just below. All four are within $160 a year of the median in Chicago-Naperville. Of the three markets closest in size, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Chicago-Naperville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +5.4% | 5,900 | jobs | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | +0.1% | 30 | pay | |
| Merced, CA | +0.0% | 40 | pay | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | this area | 4,270 | ||
| Sioux City, IA-NE | -0.2% | 40 | pay | |
| Nashville-Murfreesboro, TN | -0.4% | 760 | pay | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | -3.4% | 5,610 | jobs | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | -11.5% | 4,430 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN?
About $57,613 a year at the median, or $4,801 a month: $44,650 in pay plus about $12,963 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Chicago-Naperville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $44,650 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $31,200, the 90th $61,660, and the middle half earned $38,000 to $48,880.
Is Chicago-Naperville the most expensive area in Illinois for data entry specialists?
Yes. Its median of $44,650 is the highest of 11 areas in Illinois. Springfield comes next at $44,230.
How many data entry specialists work in Chicago-Naperville?
BLS counts about 4,270 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Illinois has as many.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Chicago-Naperville?
Yes: $6,590 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,650 and $38,060.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-9021: 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.