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Recruiter salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median recruiter in Illinois earned $76,820 a year in May 2025[1], 1.2% above the US median of $75,940. That puts Illinois at #17 of 51 states for this job.

$76,820median annual wage
$109,743employer cost with benefits
$36.93median per hour
35,430people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 13-1071. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$48,980$76,820$123,940
United States$47,180$75,940$128,720
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of recruiters in Illinois earns $60,750–$98,580; the top tenth earns $123,940 or more, 2.5 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 $109,743 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 recruiters 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].

$109,743local 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
Springfield, IL
$78,840
$94,690950
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$78,210
$100,55026,470
Bloomington, IL
$74,210
$92,080510
Peoria, IL
$74,020
$96,220890
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$70,130
$87,440390
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$67,360
$83,450540
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$67,340
$84,610500
Rockford, IL
$65,490
$79,920650
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$65,350
$79,470540
Kankakee, IL
$63,720
$75,090160
Decatur, IL
$63,700
$82,120140
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$63,380
$81,590440

Springfield, IL pays the most ($78,840) and South Illinois nonmetropolitan area the least ($63,380): $15,460 a year apart for the same job.

What a recruiter does

A recruiter finds and attracts candidates, screens them, manages the interview process and closes offers for the hiring managers.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Rhode Island
$77,560
+1.0%
Alaska
$76,990
+0.2%
Illinois
$76,820
+0.0%
North Dakota
$75,630
-1.5%
Hawaii
$73,750
-4.0%

Questions

How much does a recruiter earn in Illinois?

The median was $76,820 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $60,750 to $98,580.

What does it cost to employ a recruiter in Illinois?

About $109,743 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 recruiters earn the most?

Springfield, IL, with a median of $78,840 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

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Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 13-1071: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes131071.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.