Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 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 Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders earning $42,670 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $42,122 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) | $32,480 | $32,063 | $-416 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $36,490 | $36,021 | $-468 |
| Median (P50) | $42,670 | $42,122 | $-547 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $47,200 | $46,594 | $-605 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $51,320 | $50,661 | $-658 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $42,670 keeps most of its value at $42,122 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 Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 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, $42,670 nominal nets out to $42,122 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 Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders.
Illinois's rank of #23 of 41 states means real purchasing power for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders trails the national half-way line.
Where does Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #23 out of 41 states for Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Illinois earns a median salary of $42,670 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $42,122 — 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 Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders in Illinois: $42,670 x (100 / 101.3) = $42,122. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.