Accountant Salary in Illinois: $82K Median

The average Accountant salary in Illinois is $82,276 per year as of April 2026. Salaries range from $56,650 (entry, 25th percentile) up to $136,671 (90th percentile). State income tax applies.

Accountants in Illinois earn approximately 3% more than the US national median ($79,880 nationally vs $82,276 in Illinois). Illinois's cost-of-living index of 100 is close to the national average.

Yes — Accountant salaries in Illinois grew approximately 410.0% year-over-year, from $16,133 in 2025 to $82,276 in 2026. This reflects the broader Finance sector's wage growth, driven by CPA and Advisory services demand.

Top-paying Illinois metros for Accountants: Chicago ($84K). Click any city for full breakdown including take-home pay.

Accountant employment projected to grow 6% through 2034. CPA shortage driving competitive salaries, especially in public accounting. Illinois's top industries include Finance, Manufacturing, Logistics, and the state's unemployment rate is 4.8% — steady demand for skilled workers.

Yes, Illinois has state income tax. This affects take-home pay — at $82,276, expect 4-7% effective state tax depending on filing status. See city pages for detailed take-home calculations.

Hottest 2026 skills: CPA, Advisory services, Data analytics, Automation tools, ESG reporting. ATS systems specifically scan for these. Adding them to your resume — naturally and in context — improves your match rate with Illinois employers.

I'm walking away from $X in unvested deferred compensation if I leave now. Can we structure the offer with a sign-on that makes me whole, plus a guaranteed first-year bonus floor? Beyond base, negotiate: Guaranteed first-year bonus (especially in IB, PE, hedge funds), Sign-on / make-whole for forfeited deferred comp, Carried interest or profit-share at PE/HF/VC firms, CFA / Series exam fees and study time off. Walk-away anchor for Illinois: $73,461.