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Sales Development Representative salary and cost of hiring in Illinois

The median sales development representative in Illinois earned $66,900 a year in May 2025[1], 4.4% below the US median of $69,990. That puts Illinois at #20 of 51 states for this job.

$66,900median annual wage
$95,571employer cost with benefits
$32.16median per hour
69,910people in this job in Illinois

BLS occupation 41-3091. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-16.

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Salary range

Range10thMedian90th
Illinois$38,530$66,900$154,070
United States$37,980$69,990$148,840
10th to 90th percentilemiddle half (25th to 75th)median

The middle half of sales development representatives in Illinois earns $49,120–$99,900; the top tenth earns $154,070 or more, 4.0 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 $95,571 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 sales development representatives 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].

$95,571local 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
$70,710
$100,79055,730
Bloomington, IL
$61,850
$86,650540
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$61,840
$83,720650
Peoria, IL
$60,530
$82,4601,210
Rockford, IL
$59,720
$84,190980
Decatur, IL
$59,550
$82,720290
Springfield, IL
$59,440
$79,780730
Kankakee, IL
$55,410
$77,070220
East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$55,010
$77,160830
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$51,070
$76,260710
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$48,920
$67,140890
Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area
$48,730
$73,240710

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the most ($70,710) and Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area the least ($48,730): $21,980 a year apart for the same job.

What a sales development representative does

A sales development representative (SDR) books meetings for the sales team: researches prospects, writes outreach, makes calls and qualifies leads.

Neighbours in the ranking

StateMedianvs Illinois
Delaware
$67,540
+1.0%
Oregon
$67,040
+0.2%
Illinois
$66,900
+0.0%
North Dakota
$66,060
-1.3%
Pennsylvania
$64,480
-3.6%

Questions

How much does a sales development representative earn in Illinois?

The median was $66,900 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey; the middle half earned $49,120 to $99,900.

What does it cost to employ a sales development representative in Illinois?

About $95,571 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 sales development representatives earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, with a median of $70,710 a year.

Other roles in Illinois

Hire sales development representatives remotely

Sources

  1. BLS OEWS May 2025, 41-3091: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes413091.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.