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Marketing Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median marketing specialist in Illinois earned $79,120 a year in May 2025[1], 0.5% above the US median of $78,760. That puts Illinois at #12 of 51 states for this job.

$79,120median annual wage
$113,029employer cost with benefits
$38.04median per hour
40,560people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 13-1161. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$46,970$79,120$139,110
United States$43,390$78,760$155,480
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of marketing specialists in Illinois earns $60,210–$104,800; the top tenth earns $139,110 or more, 3.0 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 $113,029 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 marketing 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 fee[3]; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool[4].

$113,029local 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
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$80,400
$105,71030,970
Peoria, IL
$78,700
$116,1901,080
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$71,380
$91,630410
Decatur, IL
$68,080
$91,030140
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$65,840
$83,930380
Springfield, IL
$65,090
$90,550410
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$62,180
$80,590420
Rockford, IL
$61,810
$82,840460
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$60,550
$80,420330
Kankakee, IL
$56,110
$75,700100
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$44,860
$63,010640

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the most ($80,400) and West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area the least ($44,860): $35,540 a year apart for the same job.

What a marketing specialist does

A marketing specialist plans and runs campaigns: email, social, content and paid ads, and measures what brings customers.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Rhode Island
$86,240
+9.0%
Oregon
$79,150
+0.0%
Illinois
$79,120
+0.0%
North Carolina
$78,410
-0.9%
Connecticut
$77,740
-1.7%

Questions

How much does a marketing specialist earn in Illinois?

The median was $79,120 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $60,210 to $104,800.

What does it cost to employ a marketing specialist in Illinois?

About $113,029 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 marketing specialists earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, with a median of $80,400 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

Hire marketing specialists remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1161: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131161.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.