Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Recreational Therapists actually take home in Illinois?
5.0% flat rate — 21.0% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Recreational Therapists earning $54,910 in Illinois (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $54,910 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$4,605 | 8.4% |
| Illinois State Income Tax | -$2,718 | 5.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$3,404 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$796 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$11,523 | 21.0% |
| Take-Home Pay | $43,386 | 79.0% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Recreational Therapists in Illinois.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $40,560 | -$7,993 | $32,566 | 19.7% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $49,700 | -$10,242 | $39,457 | 20.6% |
| Median (P50) | $54,910 | -$11,523 | $43,386 | 21.0% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $65,120 | -$14,372 | $50,747 | 22.1% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $86,190 | -$21,662 | $64,527 | 25.1% |
After federal income tax ($4,605), state tax ($2,718), and FICA ($4,200), a Recreational Therapists in Illinois takes home $43,386 per year — or $3,615 per month. The effective tax rate of 21.0% is relatively low compared to the national range.
With an effective total rate of 21.0%, a Recreational Therapists in Illinois keeps $43,386 of $54,910 gross — roughly typical for U.S. middle-income earners once federal, FICA and state taxes are combined.
Illinois applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Recreational Therapists salary that contributes $2,718 to the 5.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Recreational Therapists salary is $4,605 (40%), but combined state ($2,718, 24%) + FICA ($4,201, 36%) make up the other 60% of the bill.
Moving this same Recreational Therapists salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $46,104 net — a gain of $2,718 (6.3%) per year versus Illinois.
Illinois ranks #34 of 48 states for Recreational Therapists after-tax pay — lower half of the national distribution. Either gross wages trail the national median, state tax is elevated, or both.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $43,386 net/year works out to $3,616/month or $1,669/bi-weekly for this Recreational Therapists in Illinois — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Recreational Therapists keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Illinois ranks #34 out of 48 states for Recreational Therapists after-tax take-home pay.
A Recreational Therapists in Illinois earning a median salary of $54,910 will take home approximately $43,386 per year after federal income tax ($4,605), state income tax ($2,718), and FICA ($4,200). That is $3,615 per month or $1,668 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Recreational Therapists in Illinois is 21.0%, broken down as: federal income tax 8.4%, Illinois state tax 5.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Illinois has a 5.0% flat rate. On a Recreational Therapists's median salary of $54,910, the state income tax amounts to $2,718 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.0%.
After all taxes, a Recreational Therapists in Illinois takes home approximately $3,615 per month, or about $20.86 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $54,910 for Recreational Therapists in Illinois, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Illinois state income tax (5.0% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $43,386/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR