What does a Retail Salespersons 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 Retail Salespersons earning $34,490 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $34,047 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) | $29,580 | $29,200 | $-379 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $30,540 | $30,148 | $-391 |
| Median (P50) | $34,490 | $34,047 | $-442 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $37,090 | $36,614 | $-475 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $47,880 | $47,265 | $-614 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $34,490 keeps most of its value at $34,047 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Retail Salespersons salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #22 out of 50 states for Retail Salespersons after cost-of-living adjustment.
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A Retail Salespersons in Illinois earns a median salary of $34,490 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $34,047 — 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 Retail Salespersons in Illinois: $34,490 x (100 / 101.3) = $34,047. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.