Recreation Workers Salary
Recreation Workers in Illinois make a median of $35,480 a year, or about $17.06 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $37,805 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 58.1% 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 $35K get you in Illinois?
About recreation workers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Recreation workers pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $37K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 58.6% 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 recreation workers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Recreation Workers salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kankakee | $36K | +2% | 90 |
| Bloomington | $36K | +2% | 470 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $36K | +1% | 13,670 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $34K | -4% | 300 |
| Rockford | $33K | -7% | 250 |
| Peoria | $33K | -8% | 500 |
| Decatur | $32K | -11% | 70 |
| Springfield | $32K | -11% | 170 |
Compare to other states
Track recreation workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a recreation worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 58.6% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for recreation workers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new recreation workers 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 recreation worker a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $37K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for recreation workers?
Illinois pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $37K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do recreation workers make in Illinois?
The median is $35,480 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced recreation workers can clear $47,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,399/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 58.6% 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 recreation workers 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 recreation workers salary is worth about $37,805 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do recreation workers 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.