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Paralegal salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median paralegal in Illinois earned $63,670 a year in May 2025[1], 1.2% above the US median of $62,890. That puts Illinois at #15 of 51 states for this job.

$63,670median annual wage
$90,957employer cost with benefits
$30.61median per hour
14,130people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 23-2011. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$46,860$63,670$104,580
United States$44,740$62,890$101,500
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of paralegals in Illinois earns $56,160–$81,970; the top tenth earns $104,580 or more, 2.2 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 $90,957 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 paralegals 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].

$90,957local 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
$70,550
$85,04011,590
Peoria, IL
$61,220
$77,110370
Bloomington, IL
$60,160
$73,660260
Springfield, IL
$59,990
$75,550230
Rockford, IL
$59,700
$76,800200
Decatur, IL
$59,690
$75,03030
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$58,580
$76,980100
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$58,220
$71,860140
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$49,240
$60,200110
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$49,170
$59,070n/a
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$43,960
$62,070140

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the most ($70,550) and Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area the least ($43,960): $26,590 a year apart for the same job.

What a paralegal does

A paralegal supports lawyers with research, document drafting, filing and case management, under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Virginia
$63,990
+0.5%
Connecticut
$63,820
+0.2%
Illinois
$63,670
+0.0%
Pennsylvania
$63,370
-0.5%
Nebraska
$63,250
-0.7%

Questions

How much does a paralegal earn in Illinois?

The median was $63,670 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $56,160 to $81,970.

What does it cost to employ a paralegal in Illinois?

About $90,957 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 paralegals earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, with a median of $70,550 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

Hire paralegals remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 23-2011: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes232011.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.