Food Batchmakers Salary
Food Batchmakers in Illinois make a median of $48,130 a year, or about $23.14 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $51,284 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 42.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in Illinois?
About food batchmakers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Illinois
Illinois sits well above the national pay line for food batchmakers, local pay runs about 14% higher than the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 44.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level food batchmakers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Food Batchmakers salary by metro in Illinois
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur | $58K | +20% | 490 |
| Rockford | $53K | +9% | 430 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $48K | -1% | 8,490 |
| Peoria | $47K | -3% | 260 |
| Kankakee | $38K | -20% | 100 |
Compare to other states
Track food batchmakers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a food batchmaker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 44.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for food batchmakers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new food batchmakers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,081/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 68% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is food batchmaker a high-paying job in Illinois?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $48K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for food batchmakers?
Illinois pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do food batchmakers make in Illinois?
The median is $48,130 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,680, and experienced food batchmakers can clear $61,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,194/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 44.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a food batchmakers 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 food batchmakers salary is worth about $51,284 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do food batchmakers 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.