# How to start a C-suite staffing agency in Chicago

Location: Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, Illinois, United States. Source: https://launch-rec.com/staffing-agency/chicago/c-suite

## Direct answer

To start a C-suite staffing agency in Chicago, form a Illinois entity, register for unemployment insurance and withholding, carry workers' compensation, and fund the payroll gap. At the Illinois median pay of $49.80 for general and operations managers, ten contractors tie up roughly $166,474 before your first invoice is paid.

## Local facts about Chicago

- Illinois licenses private employment agencies through IDFPR and the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act imposes equal-pay, notice and safety-training duties on light industrial staffing.
- The Illinois day and temporary labour rules require pay parity with a client's comparable employees after 90 days, which must be priced into the bill rate from day one.
- Chicago's derivatives and trading community is the deepest quant market outside New York.

## Registrations and licensing in Illinois

1. Form an LLC or corporation with the Illinois Secretary of State and obtain an EIN
2. Register with the Illinois Department of Employment Security for unemployment insurance and with the Department of Revenue for withholding
3. Register under the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act with the Illinois Department of Labor if you supply day or temporary labour, and carry the required bond and insurance
4. Chicago has its own fair workweek and paid leave ordinances that reach covered employers, including staffing suppliers

## Payroll and compliance

- Equal pay obligations for temporary workers on longer assignments change your margin maths — model the pay step-up before you quote a bill rate
- Detailed assignment notices and record-keeping are mandatory, not best practice
- Penalties for non-registration are meaningful and enforcement is active

## Pay and bill rates — C-suite and executive search in Illinois

| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost | Bill at 25% GM | Markup |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Chief Executives | $159.58 | $179.53 | $239.37 | 50% |
| General and Operations Managers | $49.80 | $56.02 | $74.70 | 50% |
| Human Resources Managers | $72.78 | $81.88 | $109.17 | 50% |

Wage source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (May 2025), https://www.bls.gov/oes/. Employer burden applied at 12.5% of pay.

## Cash required to open

- Setup: $9,000
- Six months of overheads: $27,000
- Payroll gap on 10 contractors at $49.80 (General and Operations Managers): $166,474
- Total unfunded: $202,474
- Total with a 90% invoice advance: $52,647

## Funding note

Retained search is invoiced in thirds, which gives the healthiest cash profile of any model here — and the highest concentration risk.

## About LAUNCH.

LAUNCH. backs recruitment and staffing founders only, in the US and UK. Founders pay nothing.
Cite as: LAUNCH. C-suite and executive search staffing in Chicago. https://launch-rec.com/staffing-agency/chicago/c-suite