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Payroll Specialist salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median payroll specialist in Illinois earned $61,390 a year in May 2025[1], 5.4% above the US median of $58,260. That puts Illinois at #10 of 51 states for this job.

$61,390median annual wage
$87,700employer cost with benefits
$29.51median per hour
5,580people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 43-3051. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$39,670$61,390$86,460
United States$39,500$58,260$81,350
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of payroll specialists in Illinois earns $48,560–$74,820; the top tenth earns $86,460 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 $87,700 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 payroll 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].

$87,700local 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
$62,920
$77,2304,170
Bloomington, IL
$62,400
$70,74060
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$59,200
$68,03080
Springfield, IL
$57,680
$66,36080
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$57,100
$71,31090
Decatur, IL
$56,780
$73,62040
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$55,720
$66,350140
Rockford, IL
$55,630
$64,960120
Peoria, IL
$55,100
$69,360160
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$50,810
$62,040120
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$47,330
$59,390110

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the most ($62,920) and South Illinois nonmetropolitan area the least ($47,330): $15,590 a year apart for the same job.

What a payroll specialist does

A payroll specialist prepares payroll runs, checks hours and deductions, keeps employee pay records and answers staff questions about their pay.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Connecticut
$62,200
+1.3%
Hawaii
$62,070
+1.1%
Illinois
$61,390
+0.0%
Minnesota
$61,320
-0.1%
New York
$61,040
-0.6%

Questions

How much does a payroll specialist earn in Illinois?

The median was $61,390 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $48,560 to $74,820.

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

About $87,700 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 payroll specialists earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, with a median of $62,920 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

Hire payroll specialists remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3051: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes433051.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.