Executive Assistant salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN
No other area in Illinois pays executive assistants more than Chicago-Naperville: the median is $77,770 a year1. That is 4.5% above the Illinois statewide median of $74,390, and 1.5% above the US median of $76,590. Nationally that is #46 of 509 areas, in the top tenth. It is the largest market for the job in Illinois: about 10,620 people.
BLS occupation 43-6011, 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 | $54,440 | $77,770 | $107,430 | |
| Illinois | $50,750 | $74,390 | $104,850 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
Executive assistants at the 90th percentile earn $107,430, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.2. The middle half of executive assistants in Chicago-Naperville earns $60,420–$95,650. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $35,230 wide, between the figure for Illinois ($35,590) and the US figure ($33,000).
What to budget for an executive assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $54,440 | $4,537 | $26.17 | $70,245 |
| 25th percentile | $60,420 | $5,035 | $29.05 | $77,961 |
| Median | $77,770 | $6,481 | $37.39 | $100,348 |
| 75th percentile | $95,650 | $7,971 | $45.99 | $123,419 |
| 90th percentile | $107,430 | $8,952 | $51.65 | $138,619 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $17,350 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $17,880, or about $23,071 once benefits are added. 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 $76,590 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Chicago-Naperville, and the Illinois statewide median of $74,390 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Chicago-Naperville
At the $77,770 median, a local hire costs about $100,348 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $22,578 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
For the $100,348 a local hire costs here, you could cover about 6.9 remote hires in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two the fee drops out and the remote figure is $11,988. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in Chicago-Naperville
Of the 17 roles we track in Chicago-Naperville, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($78,210) and office managers ($71,730). Project Coordinator is the highest at $105,320.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Specialist | +3.4% | 30,970 | |
| Recruiter | +0.6% | 26,470 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 10,620 | |
| Office Manager | -7.8% | 33,180 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -9.1% | 55,730 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Chicago-Naperville (+1.5%), between marketing specialists (+2.1%) and bookkeepers (+1.5%). The typical role here is at +3.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Executive assistants hold 2.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Chicago-Naperville, 2.4% across Illinois and 2.9% 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 $53,720 in the South Illinois nonmetro area to $77,770 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $24,050 a year. No other area in Illinois has as many executive assistants, and all 11 others pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Chicago-Naperville | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | this area | 10,620 | |
| Springfield, IL | -5.5% | 830 | |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | -11.8% | 260 | |
| Kankakee, IL | -13.3% | 60 | |
| Bloomington, IL | -14.2% | 260 | |
| Peoria, IL | -18.0% | 270 | |
| Rockford, IL | -20.1% | 160 |
Chicago-Naperville against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Chicago-Naperville is #6 of 506 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Illinois, Modesto and Baltimore-Columbia pay just above Chicago-Naperville and Fresno and Richmond just below. All four are within $610 a year of the median in Chicago-Naperville. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Chicago-Naperville | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +35.3% | 11,250 | jobs | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +9.6% | 11,290 | jobs | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | +0.8% | 8,260 | pay | |
| Modesto, CA | +0.2% | 520 | pay | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | this area | 10,620 | ||
| Fresno, CA | -0.2% | 880 | pay | |
| Richmond, VA | -0.3% | 2,060 | pay | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | -7.3% | 10,060 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN?
About $100,348 a year at the median, or $8,362 a month: $77,770 in pay plus about $22,578 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for executive assistants in Chicago-Naperville?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $77,770 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $54,440, the 90th $107,430, and the middle half earned $60,420 to $95,650.
Is Chicago-Naperville the most expensive area in Illinois for executive assistants?
Yes. Its median of $77,770 is the highest of 12 areas in Illinois. Springfield comes next at $73,510.
How many executive assistants work in Chicago-Naperville?
BLS counts about 10,620 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Illinois has as many.
Does an executive assistant cost more than an office manager in Chicago-Naperville?
Yes: $6,040 a year more at the median. The medians are $77,770 and $71,730.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Chicago-Naperville?
Our open roles pay $800–$1,100 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $14,488, against about $100,348 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: 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.