Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary really buy you in Illinois?
Illinois is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Detectives and Criminal Investigators earning $91,190 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $90,019 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $53,960 | $53,267 | $-692 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $69,590 | $68,696 | $-893 |
| Median (P50) | $91,190 | $90,019 | $-1,170 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $114,640 | $113,168 | $-1,471 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $157,060 | $155,044 | $-2,015 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $91,190 keeps most of its value at $90,019 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 101.3, Illinois is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Detectives and Criminal Investigators is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living, $91,190 nominal nets out to $90,020 in real purchasing power — a small 1.3% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Detectives and Criminal Investigators.
Illinois's rank of #27 of 51 states means real purchasing power for Detectives and Criminal Investigators trails the national half-way line.
Where does Detectives and Criminal Investigators salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #27 out of 51 states for Detectives and Criminal Investigators after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Detectives and Criminal Investigators take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Illinois earns a median salary of $91,190 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $90,019 — a -1.3% difference.
Illinois's cost of living is 1.3% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Illinois is 101.3 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Detectives and Criminal Investigators in Illinois: $91,190 x (100 / 101.3) = $90,019. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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