Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants Salary
In Illinois, executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants earn $74,390 at the median, or about $35.76 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $79,265 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 28.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $74K get you in Illinois?
About executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
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What this looks like in Illinois
Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $74K locally vs. $77K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,407/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $54K spread from bottom to top.
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $78K | +5% | 10,620 |
| Springfield | $74K | -1% | 830 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $69K | -8% | 260 |
| Kankakee | $67K | -9% | 60 |
| Bloomington | $67K | -10% | 260 |
| Peoria | $64K | -14% | 270 |
| Rockford | $62K | -17% | 160 |
| Decatur | $60K | -19% | 80 |
Compare to other states
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 29.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,045/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 46% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is executive secretaries and executive administrative assistant a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $74K locally vs. $77K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants?
Illinois pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants make in Illinois?
The median is $74,390 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,750, and experienced executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants can clear $104,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,753/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 29.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants salary is worth about $79,265 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.