Salary Expectations for Illinois Accountants and How to Negotiate Yours

Are you preparing for a job as an accountant in the state of Illinois? If so, this post is for you because we will discuss the salary expectations for accountants working in Illinois. We will also help you negotiate your salary, and it doesn’t matter if you are right out of college or preparing to make a move well into your career.

Accountant Salary Rates Rising in Illinois

The national average for an accountant’s salary is just over $47,000 per year. In Illinois, there are just nine major locations where an accountant’s salary is less than the national average. There are 21 major locations where the salary is more than the national average.

If you want to work in Chicago as an accountant, you can expect to make roughly $2,000 more than the national average for the position. The same can be said for those who want to work in Evanston and Orland Park.

If you want to work in Peoria, you can expect to make roughly $5,000 less than the national average. The same can be said for those who want to work in Springfield and Rockfield.

How to Negotiate for the Best Salary

After looking at the numbers for an accountant’s salary in Illinois, it is now time to figure out how to negotiate your own compensation. The first step in this process is putting together a list of your top priorities for the job. Write down 401(k), vacation time, benefits, base salary, bonuses,  scope of responsibilities, frequency of performance reviews and more.

Ask the hiring manager what the base salary for the position is and then provide a counter offer. In some instances, the offer made by the company will be the final dollar amount. In other instances, you will be able to negotiate the salary to a level that you think is acceptable.

One thing you must do prior to negotiating your salary is research. You need to figure out what the company has paid for the position in the past, what competing companies pay and if you have any degrees or certifications that would increase the salary paid to you.

As you prepare to work in the accounting field, you need to make sure that the salary is in line with your experience and prior compensation levels. A little bit of research can help in your negotiations for a higher salary at a new company.