Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Public Safety Telecommunicators 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 Public Safety Telecommunicators earning $61,260 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $60,473 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) | $38,920 | $38,420 | $-499 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $48,620 | $47,996 | $-623 |
| Median (P50) | $61,260 | $60,473 | $-786 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $80,470 | $79,437 | $-1,032 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $94,970 | $93,751 | $-1,218 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $61,260 keeps most of its value at $60,473 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 Public Safety Telecommunicators 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, $61,260 nominal nets out to $60,474 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 Public Safety Telecommunicators.
Ranked on COL-adjusted median pay for Public Safety Telecommunicators, Illinois places #12 of 51 states — top quartile. Either nominal wages run high, cost of living runs low, or both.
Where does Public Safety Telecommunicators salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #12 out of 51 states for Public Safety Telecommunicators after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Public Safety Telecommunicators take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Public Safety Telecommunicators in Illinois earns a median salary of $61,260 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $60,473 — 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 Public Safety Telecommunicators in Illinois: $61,260 x (100 / 101.3) = $60,473. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.