Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay in Illinois

$34,750avg. a year
$16.71 an hour · 16,500 employed

Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop in Illinois earn an average of $34,750 a year. That is $2,060 (6%) more than the U.S. average of $32,690. The best-paying metro area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $34,930.

$31,200Median pay
$16.71Average hourly
+40%Avg. pay since 2020
#16Of 50 states + D.C.

Top-paying Illinois metro areas

Average pay for hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop by metro area. Swipe to see all 12.

113,390 jobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$34,930
$16.80 an hour
2110 jobs
Decatur, IL
$34,780
$16.72 an hour
3440 jobs
Peoria, IL
$33,670
$16.19 an hour
4340 jobs
Rockford, IL
$33,480
$16.10 an hour
5260 jobs
Champaign-Urbana, IL
$33,430
$16.07 an hour
6300 jobs
Bloomington, IL
$32,930
$15.83 an hour
7140 jobs
Kankakee, IL
$32,810
$15.77 an hour
8260 jobs
Springfield, IL
$32,790
$15.77 an hour
94,100 jobs
St. Louis, MO-IL
$32,510
$15.63 an hour
10410 jobs
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL
$31,110
$14.96 an hour
11150 jobs
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
$29,880
$14.36 an hour
12190 jobs
Paducah, KY-IL
$25,780
$12.39 an hour

Why people trust JobPayFacts

Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
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Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop pay in Illinois, charted

Pay over time

Illinois, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian

Where Illinois hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop work

Employment by metro area, May 2025

Average pay by state

May 2025 · Illinois highlighted · tap a state
Under $28k$28k–$31k$31k–$35k$35k+Illinois

Illinois vs. neighbors

Average pay, May 2025
AreaAvg. payHourly
United States$32,690$15.72
Illinois$34,750$16.71
Missouri$32,440$15.59
Iowa$30,690$14.76
Wisconsin$28,440$13.67
Indiana$27,730$13.33
Kentucky$26,900$12.93

Questions and answers

How much do hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop make in Illinois?

The average is $34,750 a year, and the median is $31,200. That is $2,060 (6%) more than the U.S. average of $32,690.

What is the hourly wage in Illinois?

$16.71 an hour on average; the median is $15.00.

Where in Illinois do they earn the most?

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($34,930), followed by Decatur, IL ($34,780). The lowest average among 12 metro areas with data is Paducah, KY-IL ($25,780).

How does Illinois rank?

Illinois ranks #16 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.

Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 35-9031. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national hosts and hostesses, restaurant, lounge, and coffee shop page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.