Human Resources Specialists Salary in Illinois
At $76,820 a year, the median for human resources specialists in Illinois is close to the national median of $75,940 (+1%); Illinois ranks 17th of 51 states by median. Human Resources Specialists earn 48% more than the median across all occupations in Illinois ($51,960). Illinois pays more than every neighbouring state: Wisconsin, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa and Indiana range from $65,600 in Indiana to $70,540 in Wisconsin. Illinois employs 35,430 human resources specialists, 5.81 per 1,000 jobs, the 6th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.99 is close to the national share.
Illinois vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $23.55 | $29.21 | $36.93 | $47.40 | $59.59 | $39.18 | 35,430 | 5.81 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $48,980 | $60,750 | $76,820 | $98,580 | $123,940 | $81,480 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.69 | $28.18 | $36.51 | $47.78 | $61.89 | $39.42 | 912,430 | – | – |
| Annual | $47,180 | $58,610 | $75,940 | $99,380 | $128,720 | $81,990 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 17th of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 6th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.99
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.81
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of Illinois's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in Illinois
12 metropolitan areas and 4 nonmetropolitan areas touching Illinois publish a row for human resources specialists, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $38.30 | $79,670 | $49,920 | $124,900 | 1,420 | 7.89 | 1.34 |
| Springfield, IL | $37.90 | $78,840 | $51,130 | $110,390 | 950 | 9.44 | 1.61 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $37.60 | $78,210 | $49,580 | $125,220 | 26,470 | 5.87 | 1.00 |
| Bloomington, IL | $35.68 | $74,210 | $49,710 | $119,830 | 510 | 5.74 | 0.98 |
| Peoria, IL | $35.59 | $74,020 | $48,290 | $123,300 | 890 | 5.35 | 0.91 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $34.46 | $71,670 | $47,230 | $116,290 | 8,130 | 6.06 | 1.03 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $32.39 | $67,360 | $48,770 | $101,050 | 540 | 5.08 | 0.87 |
| Rockford, IL | $31.49 | $65,490 | $46,830 | $94,930 | 650 | 4.76 | 0.81 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $31.01 | $64,500 | $41,580 | $113,840 | 210 | 4.25 | 0.72 |
| Kankakee, IL | $30.63 | $63,720 | $44,440 | $99,630 | 160 | 3.89 | 0.66 |
| Decatur, IL | $30.63 | $63,700 | $44,440 | $96,090 | 140 | 3.08 | 0.52 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $29.16 | $60,660 | $41,290 | $87,240 | 230 | 5.05 | 0.86 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $33.72 | $70,130 | $48,200 | $107,420 | 390 | 3.07 | 0.52 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $32.37 | $67,340 | $45,160 | $104,790 | 500 | 3.50 | 0.60 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $31.42 | $65,350 | $46,190 | $97,400 | 540 | 3.17 | 0.54 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $30.47 | $63,380 | $43,440 | $104,170 | 440 | 3.14 | 0.54 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Human Resources Specialists (every state ranked) and the Illinois wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS Illinois estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.