Source: https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/ Title: SEO Specialist hourly rate in Illinois, 2026 | Deftridge Summary: SEO Specialist pay in Illinois: median wage $45 an hour, typical part-time contractor rate $65. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024. IL · United States · **Updated November 3, 2026** # SEO Specialist hourly rate in Illinois The market median wage for an SEO Specialist in Illinois is **$45.31 an hour**. A senior part-time contractor typically receives **$65 an hour** on Deftridge, -7% against the United States rate. **$65/hr** typical contractor rate, senior **$45.31/hr** median wage **$34-62** middle half of wages **$1,410** a month at 5 hours a week ## SEO Specialist wage percentiles in Illinois Employee wages for the role. The yellow row is the median. | Percentile | Per hour | 5 h a week, per month | Full time, per year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 10th | $25.93 | $560 | $53,900 | | 25th | $34.23 | $740 | $71,200 | | Median | $45.31 | $980 | $94,200 | | 75th | $61.52 | $1,330 | $128,000 | | 90th | $83.38 | $1,810 | $173,400 | Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024; aged to October 2026; about 35,350 people employed in the role. [How rates are built](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/). ## Illinois in numbers What sets Illinois apart for an SEO Specialist, from the same sources as the table above. - **-6%** median wage against the United States median of $48.22 - **18th of 51** states by median wage for this role - **35,350** people employed in the role in this place - **$57.57** median wage in the Bloomington metro area, the highest here - **$35** country floor: no United States rate is published below it ## What contractors receive The Deftridge rate for an SEO Specialist in Illinois by level and by format. The company adds 15% on top; you keep all of the rate shown. | Level | Per hour | Per month at 5 h/week | | --- | --- | --- | | Specialist | $55 | $1,190 | | Senior | $65 | $1,410 | | Manager | $80 | $1,730 | - Regular role **$65** - One-off task **$75** - Task bundle **$70** ## SEO Specialist pay across United States Typical contractor rate for a senior SEO Specialist, highest first; 10 of 51 places shown. By median wage Illinois ranks **18 of 51**. | Place | Median wage | Contractor rate | | --- | --- | --- | | California | $67.44 | $100 | | Delaware | $63.59 | $90 | | New York | $59.62 | $85 | | Georgia | $47.39 | $70 | | Maine | $46.86 | $70 | | Florida | $46.79 | $70 | | Illinois | $45.31 | $65 | | Connecticut | $43.89 | $65 | | Maryland | $43.86 | $65 | | New Hampshire | $43.57 | $65 | ## Metro areas in Illinois Median employee wage for the role in the metro area (BLS OEWS). - [Bloomington $57.57/hr median wage · range $38-79](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) - [Chicago $47.51/hr median wage · range $37-62](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) - [Peoria $41.65/hr median wage · range $32-60](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) - [Champaign $39.78/hr median wage · range $31-49](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) - [Springfield $37.66/hr median wage · range $29-51](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) - [Rockford $37.17/hr median wage · range $27-48](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) - [Kankakee $35.97/hr median wage · range $28-46](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) - [Decatur $35.14/hr median wage · range $29-44](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/illinois/) ## Questions about pay, fees and privacy The same rules apply to every task, so they live on two pages: [Pricing](https://deftridge.com/pricing/) explains the 15% fee, prepayment and when you are paid; [How it works](https://deftridge.com/how-it-works/) covers matching, what a company sees and side work next to a job. [SEO Specialist rates in every country](https://deftridge.com/rates/seo-specialist/) · [SEO Specialist jobs in Illinois](https://deftridge.com/jobs/seo-specialist/illinois/) · [Methodology](https://deftridge.com/rates/methodology/)