Medical Administrative Assistant salary in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area
Hiring a medical administrative assistant costs less in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area than in Illinois or the country as a whole. The median is $44,620 a year1: 4.4% below the Illinois statewide median of $46,670 and 2.9% below the US median of $45,930. Nationally it ranks #202 of 516 areas. About 390 medical administrative assistants work here, 1% of the Illinois total.
BLS occupation 43-6013, area Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area against Illinois and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | $35,360 | $44,620 | $50,840 | |
| Illinois | $37,440 | $46,670 | $58,320 | |
| United States | $35,930 | $45,930 | $60,530 |
The middle half of medical administrative assistants in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area earns $37,300–$47,070. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $50,840, only 1.4 times the bottom tenth, against 1.7 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($43,180) is no higher than the median, so few high earners skew the figures here. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $9,770 wide, against $9,850 across Illinois and $12,010 nationally: employers in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a medical administrative assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,360 | $2,947 | $17.00 | $45,626 |
| 25th percentile | $37,300 | $3,108 | $17.93 | $48,129 |
| Median | $44,620 | $3,718 | $21.45 | $57,574 |
| 75th percentile | $47,070 | $3,922 | $22.63 | $60,735 |
| 90th percentile | $50,840 | $4,237 | $24.44 | $65,600 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $2,450 over it, while the 25th sits $7,320 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $3,161 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 $45,930 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area, and the Illinois statewide median of $46,670 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $12,954 to the $44,620 median and brings it to $57,574 a year. 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 medical administrative assistants 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 the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area
Of the 17 roles we track in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area, this one ranks #11 by median pay, between bookkeepers ($46,340) and administrative assistants ($44,150). Project Coordinator is the highest at $96,420.
| Role | Median | vs medical administrative assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +9.2% | 710 | |
| Bookkeeper | +3.9% | 1,340 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | this role | 390 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -1.1% | 1,670 | |
| Paralegal | -1.5% | 140 |
Measured against the US median, medical administrative assistants rank #3 of the 17 roles we track in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area (-2.9%), between payroll specialists (-2.0%) and customer support specialists (-3.0%). The typical role here is at -7.4%, so, measured against the US, medical administrative assistants cost more in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area than the area's general pay level would suggest. Medical administrative assistants hold 4.1% of the jobs in these 17 roles in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area, 4.5% across Illinois and 6.1% 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 $37,660 in Kankakee to $47,680 in Chicago-Naperville, a gap of $10,020 a year. Of the 8 areas in Illinois with more medical administrative assistants than the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area, 4 pay less, the largest of them Springfield, IL ($43,350), Peoria, IL ($44,530) and the West Central Illinois nonmetro area ($38,590).
| Area | Median | vs the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | +3.1% | 930 | |
| Bloomington, IL | +3.0% | 390 | |
| East Central Illinois (Nonmetro) | +0.9% | 820 | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | this area | 390 | |
| Peoria, IL | -0.2% | 1,050 | |
| Springfield, IL | -2.8% | 1,330 | |
| Decatur, IL | -6.3% | 220 |
the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area is #355 of 514 US areas for this job. Both its size and its pay sit in the middle half of US areas. Outside Illinois, Charleston-North Charleston and Colorado Springs pay just above the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area and Grand Island and Greensboro-High Point just below. All four are within $120 a year of the median in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area. Of the three markets with about as many medical administrative assistants, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | +0.1% | 1,580 | pay | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | +0.0% | 3,040 | pay | |
| Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro) | this area | 390 | ||
| Grand Island, NE | -0.1% | 140 | pay | |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | -0.3% | 3,870 | pay | |
| Columbus, IN | -5.6% | 390 | jobs | |
| Battle Creek, MI | -10.1% | 390 | jobs | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | -14.2% | 390 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a medical administrative assistant in Northwest Illinois (Nonmetro)?
About $57,574 a year at the median, or $4,798 a month: $44,620 in pay plus about $12,954 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for medical administrative assistants in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area?
The median was $44,620 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,360, the 90th $50,840, and the middle half earned $37,300 to $47,070.
Is the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area cheaper than the rest of Illinois for medical administrative assistants?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $44,620 against $46,670 statewide. The next area up in Illinois is the East Central Illinois nonmetro area at $45,030, the next down Peoria at $44,530.
How many medical administrative assistants work in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area?
BLS counts about 390 in the May 2025 survey. That is 1% of the Illinois total of 27,560. 9 areas in Illinois have more; the closest in size is Bloomington, with about 390.
Does a medical administrative assistant cost more than an administrative assistant in the Northwest Illinois nonmetro area?
Yes: $470 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,620 and $44,150.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6013: 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.