What does a Flight Attendant salary really buy you in Illinois?
Illinois is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Flight Attendant earning $62,120 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $61,322 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) | $31,170 | $30,769 | $-400 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $60,630 | $59,851 | $-778 |
| Median (P50) | $62,120 | $61,322 | $-797 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $77,620 | $76,623 | $-996 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $100,760 | $99,466 | $-1,293 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $62,120 keeps most of its value at $61,322 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Flight Attendant salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #12 out of 21 states for Flight Attendant after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Flight Attendant in Illinois earns a median salary of $62,120 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $61,322 — 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 Flight Attendant in Illinois: $62,120 x (100 / 101.3) = $61,322. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.