Average Advertising Account Executive Salary in Illinois, United States for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Advertising Account Executive salary for 2026 in Illinois and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does an Advertising Account Executive Make in Illinois?

An Advertising Account Executive working in Illinois will typically earn around 116,400 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 58,700 USD to the highest average salary of 175,200 USD.

Average Annual Salary116,400 USD
Average Monthly Salary9,700 USD
Average Lowest Salary58,700 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary4,891 USD
Average Highest Salary175,200 USD
Highest Monthly Salary14,600 USD

These are average salaries for an Advertising Account Executive in Illinois and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Advertising Account Executive to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Advertising Account Executive salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Advertising Account Executive Salaries in Illinois

So we've looked at the average salaries an Advertising Account Executive will earn in Illinois. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Advertising Account Executive can earn between 58,700 USD and 175,200 USD on average in Illinois. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Advertising Account Executive in Illinois is 108,200 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 108,200 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 108,200 USD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Advertising Account Executive salary in Illinois, 25% of the population are earning less than 76,800 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 76,800 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 138,700 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 138,700 USD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Advertising Account Executive Salary by Experience Level in Illinois

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Advertising Account Executive salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Advertising Account Executive in Illinois that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 67,300 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Advertising Account Executive salary would increase to 91,700 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Advertising Account Executive, the average salary would be 117,100 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 142,300 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Advertising Account Executive with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 157,600 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Advertising Account Executive with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 163,800 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
67,300 USD
2-5 Years+34%
91,700 USD
5-10 Years+30%
117,100 USD
10-15 Years+21%
142,300 USD
15-20 Years+9%
157,600 USD
20+ Years+5%
163,800 USD

Advertising Account Executive Salary by Education Level in Illinois

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Advertising Account Executive in Illinois based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. An Advertising Account Executive in Illinois with a high school education can earn an average salary of 81,600 USD.
  • Certificate or Diploma. An Advertising Account Executive in Illinois with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 95,100 USD.
  • Bachelor's Degree. An Advertising Account Executive in Illinois with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 130,400 USD.
  • Master's Degree. An Advertising Account Executive in Illinois with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 158,700 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
81,600 USD
Certificate or Diploma+14%
95,100 USD
Bachelor's Degree+41%
130,400 USD
Master's Degree+21%
158,700 USD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Advertising Account Executive Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Illinois, a male advertising account executive will earn an average of 107,300 USD, while a female advertising account executive will earn around 100,700 USD.

This means that a male advertising account executive earns approximately 7% more than a female advertising account executive for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Illinois

Male-
107,300 USD
Female-7%
100,700 USD

Advertising Account Executive Average Pay Raise in Illinois

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Advertising Account Executive in Illinois is around 11% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that an Advertising Account Executive in Illinois can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Illinois for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in United States.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
4%
Energy-
8%
Information Technology-
3%
Healthcare-
7%
Travel-
2%
Construction-
6%
Education-
1%

Advertising Account Executive Bonus and Incentive Rates in Illinois

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Advertising Account Executive is a moderate bonus based job, with 58% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

42% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6%.

Received Bonus-
58%
No Bonus-
42%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
98,800 USD
Private Sector-6%
93,100 USD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Advertising Account Executive

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Advertising Account Executive in Illinois.

Job TitleCategorySalary
Advertising Account ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events116,400 USD
Advertising Account PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events58,400 USD
Advertising CoordinatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events73,500 USD
Advertising ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events151,800 USD
Advertising Operations ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events160,700 USD
Advertising Sales DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events166,600 USD
Advertising Strategic PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events102,700 USD
Advertising Team LeaderAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events90,900 USD
Advertising and Promotions ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events158,700 USD
AnimatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events73,700 USD
Art DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events92,100 USD
Art ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events99,400 USD
ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events77,400 USD
ArtworkerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events57,200 USD
Assistant Art DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events76,000 USD
Audio EngineerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events68,900 USD
Audio and Video Equipment TechnicianAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events58,100 USD
Audiosual TechnicianAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events54,700 USD
Broadcast AdministratorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events103,600 USD
Catering SalesAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events64,800 USD
Catering TrainerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events71,200 USD
Commercial and Industrial DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events59,200 USD
Conference OrganiserAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events69,200 USD
Content and Media Production LeadAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events109,700 USD
CopyWriterAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events65,700 USD
Creative DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events71,900 USD
Creative DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events94,100 USD
Designer Advertising / Graphic Design / Events54,600 USD
Desktop PublisherAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events49,400 USD
Digital Campaign ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events100,300 USD
Digital Media ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events117,100 USD
Digital Media StrategistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events116,400 USD
Director of EventsAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events157,600 USD
Director of Graphic DesignAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events92,000 USD
Director of Social Media MarketingAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events124,500 USD
Events DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events165,900 USD
Events and Promotions ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events160,700 USD
Exhibit DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events75,900 USD
Exhibit Display CoordinatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events68,500 USD
Exhibit Display ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events96,500 USD
FinisherAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events46,700 USD
Graphic ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events58,600 USD
Graphic Design SpecialistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events69,400 USD
Graphic DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events63,200 USD
Graphics ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events59,000 USD
Graphics Design SupervisorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events84,800 USD
Group Creative DirectorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events102,700 USD
Imagery AnalystAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events57,400 USD
Imaging TechnologistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events52,300 USD
Interaction DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events48,600 USD
Media AnalystAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events77,000 USD
Media ExecutiveAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events95,500 USD
Media PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events83,400 USD
Media Production CoordinatorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events70,800 USD
Media Production ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events127,600 USD
Media Project ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events130,400 USD
Media Relations RepresentativeAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events107,300 USD
Media Sales ExecutiveAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events127,700 USD
Meeting and Event PlannerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events74,500 USD
Multimedia ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events64,100 USD
Multimedia SpecialistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events52,300 USD
PPC Campaign ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events93,600 USD
PhotographerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events51,300 USD
Print Production ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events105,800 USD
Product and Brand ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events157,600 USD
Sales Promotion ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events152,900 USD
Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO)Advertising / Graphic Design / Events65,800 USD
Sketch ArtistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events63,200 USD
Social Media ExecutiveAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events117,100 USD
Social Media ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events123,000 USD
Social Media Marketing ManagerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events128,200 USD
Social Media StrategistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events115,600 USD
Special Events SupervisorAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events96,500 USD
Technical TypistAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events41,500 USD
UX DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events59,100 USD
User Experience UX DesignerAdvertising / Graphic Design / Events67,300 USD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in United States, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Atlanta95,600 USD
Austin117,100 USD
Baltimore103,600 USD
Boston111,700 USD
Bristol83,800 USD
Chicago130,500 USD
Cincinnati93,900 USD
Cleveland91,500 USD
Dallas114,900 USD
Denver115,600 USD
Detroit109,700 USD
Honolulu87,600 USD
Houston119,700 USD
Indianapolis115,600 USD
Iowa City87,900 USD
Jacksonville114,600 USD
Kansas City102,700 USD
Kent87,200 USD
Las Vegas105,800 USD
Long Beach99,700 USD
Los Angeles128,200 USD
Memphis108,200 USD
Miami100,700 USD
Minneapolis94,800 USD
New Orleans93,600 USD
New York130,500 USD
Oakland102,700 USD
Oklahoma City109,000 USD
Orlando85,800 USD
Philadelphia123,000 USD
Phoenix127,700 USD
Sacramento109,000 USD
San Antonio124,500 USD
San Diego116,400 USD
San Francisco109,700 USD
San Jose118,900 USD
Seattle114,300 USD
Tampa91,900 USD
Vancouver86,300 USD
Washington D.C.114,600 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

StateAverage Salary
Alabama114,600 USD
Alaska94,900 USD
Arizona117,100 USD
Arkansas102,700 USD
California125,400 USD
Colorado107,300 USD
Connecticut109,000 USD
Delaware95,500 USD
District of Columbia98,700 USD
Florida114,300 USD
Georgia119,700 USD
Hawaii97,100 USD
Idaho103,600 USD
Indiana116,400 USD
Iowa100,700 USD
Kansas107,300 USD
Kentucky105,200 USD
Louisiana109,700 USD
Maine95,400 USD
Maryland114,600 USD
Massachusetts109,000 USD
Michigan115,600 USD
Minnesota105,800 USD
Mississippi105,200 USD
Missouri107,300 USD
Montana97,600 USD
Nebraska97,400 USD
Nevada105,200 USD
New Hampshire95,100 USD
New Jersey116,400 USD
New Mexico97,100 USD
New York118,900 USD
North Carolina108,200 USD
North Dakota94,500 USD
Ohio124,500 USD
Oklahoma107,300 USD
Oregon111,700 USD
Pennsylvania117,100 USD
Rhode Island100,700 USD
South Carolina109,000 USD
South Dakota100,700 USD
Tennessee112,700 USD
Texas123,800 USD
Utah100,700 USD
Vermont97,300 USD
Virginia114,900 USD
Washington117,100 USD
West Virginia101,100 USD
Wisconsin116,400 USD
Wyoming92,100 USD

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