Financial Examiners Salary
Financial Examiners in Illinois make a median of $93,150 a year, or about $44.78 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $167K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $99,254 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 23.9% 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 $93K get you in Illinois?
About financial examiners
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What this looks like in Illinois
Financial examiners pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $93K locally vs. $94K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 24.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level financial examiners (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $93K. Top earners bring in $167K or more, a $107K spread from bottom to top.
Financial Examiners salary by metro in Illinois
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $98K | +6% | 3,160 |
| Peoria | $80K | -14% | 90 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $77K | -17% | 60 |
| Springfield | $77K | -18% | 180 |
| Bloomington | $76K | -18% | 80 |
Compare to other states
Track financial examiners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a financial examiner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $93K, rent takes 24.4% 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 financial examiners in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new financial examiners typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,588/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 39% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is financial examiner a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $93K locally vs. $94K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for financial examiners?
Illinois pays $93K median vs. the U.S. average of $94K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $99K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do financial examiners make in Illinois?
The median is $93,150 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,800, and experienced financial examiners can clear $167,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $93K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,776/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 24.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a financial examiners 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 financial examiners salary is worth about $99,254 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do financial examiners 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.