Rock Island Hourly Wage & Salary 2026
Rock Island, IL: $23.34/hr median hourly wage, $48,550 median annual salary, cost of living index 93.6, and $14.00/hr minimum wage. Calculate take-home pay with federal and Illinois taxes.
Rock Island Hourly Wage Quick Answer
The median hourly wage in Rock Island, IL is $23.34/hr,and the median annual wage is $48,550. Entry-level pay estimates around $14.47/hr, senior-level pay estimates around $33.14/hr, and the local minimum wage is $14.00/hr.
Median figures: BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metropolitan statistical area (180,450 jobs). BLS publishes wages by metro area, not by city, so Rock Island shares this figure with the rest of its metro. Entry and senior levels are Salario estimates.
Median Salary
$48,550
$23.34/hr
Cost of Living
93.6
US avg = 100
Minimum Wage
$14.00
per hour
Unemployment
4%
rate
Rock Island, IL Overview
Population
36,632
Median Salary
$48,550
Average Salary
$61,900
Avg Commute
19 min
Median Home Price
$226,000
Median Rent
$922/mo
Job Growth
+2.7%
Sales Tax
6.25%
Rock Island is located in Illinois with a population of 36,632. The median annual wage across all occupations is $48,550 ($23.34/hour, BLS OEWS May 2025, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro), which is $2,430 below the national median of $50,980. The national median is the BLS OEWS May 2025 all-occupations median annual wage. The average commute time is 19 minutes, and the city has a job growth rate of +2.7%.
Rock Island Salary by Experience Level (2026)
Wage distribution in Rock Island, IL built around the $48,550 median salary (BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro). Entry-level represents 10th–25th percentile; mid-level is the median; senior-level represents 75th–90th percentile. The non-median rows are Salario estimates.
| Experience Level | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage | Years Exp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-Level | $30,101 | $14.47/hr | 0–2 years |
| Mid-Level (Median) | $48,550 | $23.34/hr | 3–7 years |
| Senior-Level | $68,941 | $33.14/hr | 8–15 years |
| Top 10% (90th Percentile) | $86,419 | $41.55/hr | 15+ years / leadership |
Percentile multipliers (62%, 100%, 142%, 178%) are Salario approximations of the typical all-occupations wage spread in BLS OEWS metro tables; only the median row is a published BLS value. Specific roles vary; see jobs by city for role-specific data.
Rock Island Paycheck Calculator
Enter your annual salary to see your estimated take-home pay in Rock Island, IL, after federal, state, and local taxes.
Estimated Annual Take-Home Pay
$38,787
$3,232.22/month · $1,491.80/biweekly · Effective Rate: 20.1%
Biweekly paycheck estimate: this salary equals about $1,491.80 take-home per paycheck after estimated Illinois and federal taxes. For the 26-paycheck formula, three-paycheck months, and withholding examples, see the Biweekly Paycheck Calculator.
Gross Pay
$48,550
Federal Tax
-$3,646
State Tax
-$2,403
Local Tax
$0
FICA
-$3,714
Net Pay
$38,787
Pay Breakdown
| Item | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary | $4,045.83 | $48,550.00 |
| Federal Income Tax | -$303.83 | -$3,646.00 |
| Illinois State Tax (4.95% eff.) | -$200.27 | -$2,403.23 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | -$250.84 | -$3,010.10 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | -$58.66 | -$703.98 |
| Net Take-Home Pay | $3,232.22 | $38,786.70 |
Salary Comparison: Rock Island vs Other Cities
See how Rock Island's median salary and cost of living compare to the national average and similar cities.
| City | Median Salary | COL Index | Adj. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Island, IL | $48,550 | 93.6 | $51,870 |
| National Average | $50,980 | 100 | $50,980 |
| Davenport, IA | $48,550 | 85 | $57,118 |
| Moline, IL | $48,550 | 87.5 | $55,486 |
| Bettendorf, IA | $48,550 | 82.9 | $58,565 |
| St. Joseph, MO | $48,574 | 90.4 | $53,732 |
Adjusted salary reflects purchasing power when cost of living is factored in. A higher adjusted salary means your money goes further.
Cost of Living in Rock Island
Rock Island's cost of living index is 93.6 (national average = 100). Living in Rock Island is 6.400000000000006% less expensive than the national average.
Median Home Price
$226,000
Median Monthly Rent
$922
Annual Rent Cost
$11,064
Your Salary's Purchasing Power
Your $38,787 annual take-home pay in Rock Island has the purchasing power of approximately $41,439 in an average-cost US area. Your $48,550 salary stretches further here than in most US cities.
Top Industries in Rock Island
Rock Island's economy is driven by these key industries. Workers in top industries often earn significantly above the median salary of $48,550.
Salary Tips for Rock Island Workers
- Research top industries. Rock Island's top industries include Finance, Manufacturing, Technology. Targeting roles in these sectors can help you earn above the $48,550 median salary.
- Review your W-4 withholding. If you regularly receive large tax refunds, adjust your W-4 to increase your per-paycheck take-home pay instead of giving the government an interest-free loan.
Methodology & Local Economy Data Sources
How we calculate Rock Island salary data: The median annual wage, median hourly wage and mean wage are the official BLS OEWS May 2025 all-occupations values for the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metropolitan statistical area, retrieved from the BLS Public Data API on September 17, 2026. BLS does not publish city-level wages, so every city inside that metro shows the same figure. The entry/senior/top-10% rows, the paycheck estimate and the purchasing-power conversion are Salario calculations built on that median. Cost-of-living adjustments use the C2ER Cost of Living Index baseline of 100 (national average), with Rock Island indexed at 93.6.
- Median salary: $48,550 annual, $23.34 hourly, BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA (180,450 jobs surveyed). Mean wage $61,900 (BLS). Salario's previous modeled median for Rock Island was $50,981.
- Tax burden reflects Illinois 2026 state income tax brackets and standard deduction (top rate 4.95%) (no local income tax), sales tax (6.25%), and federal taxes per IRS 2026 brackets.
- Unemployment rate for Rock Island: 4%, sourced from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS).
- Top industries: Finance, Manufacturing, Technology, based on QCEW employment concentration data.
- Job growth: 2.7% projected through 2034, derived from BLS Employment Projections program for Illinois.
- Housing context: median home price $226,000, median rent $922/mo, sourced from Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
Authoritative US data sources for Rock Island, IL:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), metropolitan area salary data
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, Rock Island unemployment rate
- U.S. Census Bureau, Rock Island QuickFacts, population, housing, demographics
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), county-level industry employment
- BLS Economy at a Glance, Illinois, state economic indicators
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), local GDP and personal income data
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), regional inflation tracking
Disclaimer: Salary and cost data are estimates for general guidance. Individual compensation varies by employer, experience, education, negotiation, and skills. Rock Island's rapidly changing economy can shift these baselines, always verify with current job listings, employer offers, and recent Illinois labor market reports for the most current figures.
Reviewed by Harlan Voss · Last updated September 17, 2026 · Wage figures: BLS OEWS May 2025 release (published May 2026) · Census data current as of latest releases
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hourly wage in Rock Island, IL?
The median hourly wage in Rock Island, IL is $23.34 per hour, the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for all occupations in the Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metropolitan area, and the BLS median annual wage is $48,550. Entry-level workers are estimated around $14.47/hr, while senior-level workers are estimated around $33.14/hr before overtime, bonuses, or benefits (Salario estimates, not BLS percentiles).
What is the median salary in Rock Island, IL?
The median salary in Rock Island, IL is $48,550 per year, or $23.34 per hour (BLS OEWS May 2025, all occupations, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL metro area). The BLS mean salary is $61,900. This is $2,430 below the BLS national median of $50,980.
What is the cost of living in Rock Island, IL?
Rock Island's cost of living index is 93.6 (national average = 100), meaning it is 6.400000000000006% less expensive compared to the national average. The median home price is $226,000 and the median monthly rent is $922.
What are the best industries in Rock Island?
The top industries in Rock Island, IL include Finance, Manufacturing, Technology. The city has a job growth rate of 2.7% and an unemployment rate of 4%. Workers in these industries often earn above the city's median salary of $48,550.
How does Rock Island's salary compare to other cities?
Rock Island's median salary of $48,550 is 4.8% below the national median of $50,980. However, when adjusted for cost of living (index: 93.6), the real purchasing power is approximately $51,870.
What is the minimum wage in Rock Island, IL?
The minimum wage in Rock Island, IL is $14.00 per hour. This equals approximately $29,120 per year for a full-time worker (40 hours/week). This is $6.75 above the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour.