The light-induced desorption of Rb atoms from a paraffin coating is studied with depth-profiling X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) using tunable synchrotron radiation. Following Rb exposure, shifts of the C1s signal to higher binding energies, as well as the appearance of lower binding energy components in the O1s region, were observed. These effects were diminished after irradiation with desorbing light. Additionally, following desorbing-light irradiation, changes in the depth-dependent concentration of carbon were observed. These observations offer an insight into the microscopic changes that occur during light-induced atomic desorption and demonstrate the utility of XPS in understanding atom-coating interactions.