Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop Salary
In Illinois, hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops earn $31,200 at the median, or about $15 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $33,245 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 66.1% 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 $31K get you in Illinois?
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What this looks like in Illinois
Hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $31K locally vs. $31K nationwide, a 0% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 66.1% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $31K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop 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 | $32K | +2% | 13,390 |
| Decatur | $31K | +0% | 110 |
| Kankakee | $31K | +0% | 140 |
| Peoria | $31K | +0% | 440 |
| Rockford | $31K | +0% | 340 |
| Bloomington | $31K | +0% | 300 |
| Springfield | $31K | +0% | 260 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $31K | +0% | 260 |
Compare to other states
Track hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $31K, rent takes 66.1% 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 $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $31K locally vs. $31K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops?
Illinois pays $31K median vs. the U.S. average of $31K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops make in Illinois?
The median is $31,200 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops can clear $44,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $31K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,130/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 66.1% 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop 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 hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop salary is worth about $33,245 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shops 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.