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Executive Assistant salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median executive assistant in Illinois earned $74,390 a year in May 2025[1], 2.9% below the US median of $76,590. That puts Illinois at #16 of 51 states for this job.

$74,390median annual wage
$106,271employer cost with benefits
$35.76median per hour
14,900people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 43-6011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$50,750$74,390$104,850
United States$50,560$76,590$109,850
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of executive assistants in Illinois earns $57,590–$93,180; the top tenth earns $104,850 or more, 2.1 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 $106,271 a year before recruiting, equipment and office space. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.

$106,271 local hire in Illinoismedian wage plus benefits, year one
$14,488 remote hire through Stafka$950/month, placement fee and Deel, year one

Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,500–$3,000[3] with a 90-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month[4]. Change any number below to match your plan.

$106,271local hire, first year incl. benefits
$14,488remote hire, first year incl. fee
$91,783difference in year one
86%of the local cost saved

Pay by metro area in Illinois

AreaMedian75th percentileJobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$77,770
$95,65010,620
Springfield, IL
$73,510
$88,790830
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$68,560
$86,040260
Kankakee, IL
$67,450
$89,16060
Bloomington, IL
$66,690
$85,770260
Peoria, IL
$63,810
$76,020270
Rockford, IL
$62,100
$79,680160
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$61,070
$76,140180
Decatur, IL
$60,490
$78,33080
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$59,490
$71,990300
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$56,760
$69,590250
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$53,720
$71,270350

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the most ($77,770) and South Illinois nonmetropolitan area the least ($53,720): $24,050 a year apart for the same job.

What an executive assistant does

An executive assistant takes the founder's or a senior manager's admin load: inbox, calendar, travel, reports and follow-ups, so the executive spends time on decisions instead of logistics.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Oregon
$75,480
+1.5%
Pennsylvania
$75,270
+1.2%
Illinois
$74,390
+0.0%
New Mexico
$73,890
-0.7%
Texas
$71,990
-3.2%

Questions

How much does an executive assistant earn in Illinois?

The median was $74,390 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $57,590 to $93,180.

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

About $106,271 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 executive assistants earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, with a median of $77,770 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

Hire executive assistants remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes436011.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.