Salaries in Chicago, IL
Average pay across 77 careers in Chicago, United States. Source figures are in USD.
Showing amounts in USD (USD default). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies
Pay index (United States)
110
100 = national average
Cost of living
100
100 = US national average
Metro population
2,664,452
Average salary by job in Chicago
| Job | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| RadiologistHealthcare | $553,000 | $46,100 |
| SurgeonHealthcare | $474,000 | $39,500 |
| PsychiatristHealthcare | $315,000 | $26,300 |
| PhysicianHealthcare | $285,000 | $23,800 |
| DentistHealthcare | $227,000 | $18,900 |
| Corporate AttorneyLegal | $211,000 | $17,600 |
| AI EngineerTechnology | $208,000 | $17,300 |
| Cloud ArchitectTechnology | $207,000 | $17,300 |
| Investment BankerFinance & Business | $203,000 | $16,900 |
| Machine Learning EngineerTechnology | $198,000 | $16,500 |
| Site Reliability EngineerTechnology | $189,000 | $15,800 |
| Product ManagerTechnology | $187,000 | $15,600 |
| LawyerLegal | $176,000 | $14,700 |
| PharmacistHealthcare | $174,000 | $14,500 |
| DevOps EngineerTechnology | $170,000 | $14,200 |
| Physician AssistantHealthcare | $169,000 | $14,100 |
| ActuaryFinance & Business | $168,000 | $14,000 |
| Data EngineerTechnology | $166,000 | $13,800 |
| OptometristHealthcare | $165,000 | $13,800 |
| Nurse PractitionerHealthcare | $164,000 | $13,700 |
| Aerospace EngineerEngineering | $163,000 | $13,600 |
| Backend DeveloperTechnology | $159,000 | $13,300 |
| Sales ManagerFinance & Business | $153,000 | $12,800 |
| Full-Stack DeveloperTechnology | $153,000 | $12,800 |
| Management ConsultantFinance & Business | $153,000 | $12,800 |
| Software EngineerTechnology | $150,000 | $12,500 |
| Frontend DeveloperTechnology | $149,000 | $12,400 |
| Data ScientistTechnology | $144,000 | $12,000 |
| Cybersecurity AnalystTechnology | $143,000 | $11,900 |
| VeterinarianHealthcare | $139,000 | $11,600 |
| Chemical EngineerEngineering | $139,000 | $11,600 |
| UX DesignerTechnology | $133,000 | $11,100 |
| Financial AdvisorFinance & Business | $131,000 | $10,900 |
| Electrical EngineerEngineering | $130,000 | $10,800 |
| School PrincipalEducation | $130,000 | $10,800 |
| Marketing ManagerFinance & Business | $129,000 | $10,800 |
| Project ManagerFinance & Business | $128,000 | $10,700 |
| Biomedical EngineerEngineering | $127,000 | $10,600 |
| PsychologistHealthcare | $125,000 | $10,400 |
| Industrial EngineerEngineering | $123,000 | $10,300 |
| ProfessorEducation | $122,000 | $10,200 |
| Network EngineerTechnology | $122,000 | $10,200 |
| Database AdministratorTechnology | $122,000 | $10,200 |
| QA EngineerTechnology | $120,000 | $10,000 |
| Web DeveloperTechnology | $119,000 | $9,900 |
| Civil EngineerEngineering | $118,000 | $9,800 |
| Mechanical EngineerEngineering | $116,000 | $9,700 |
| ArchitectCreative | $116,000 | $9,700 |
| Physical TherapistHealthcare | $115,000 | $9,600 |
| Financial AnalystFinance & Business | $115,000 | $9,600 |
| Operations ManagerFinance & Business | $115,000 | $9,600 |
| Environmental EngineerEngineering | $114,000 | $9,500 |
| Occupational TherapistHealthcare | $111,000 | $9,300 |
| Business AnalystFinance & Business | $110,000 | $9,200 |
| HR ManagerFinance & Business | $107,000 | $8,900 |
| Data AnalystTechnology | $106,000 | $8,800 |
| Registered NurseHealthcare | $105,000 | $8,800 |
| Dental HygienistHealthcare | $103,000 | $8,600 |
| Systems AdministratorTechnology | $102,000 | $8,500 |
| RecruiterFinance & Business | $95,500 | $8,000 |
| AuditorFinance & Business | $94,700 | $7,900 |
| Real Estate AgentFinance & Business | $93,300 | $7,800 |
| ChefSkilled Trades | $87,200 | $7,300 |
| AccountantFinance & Business | $84,200 | $7,000 |
| CopywriterCreative | $83,400 | $7,000 |
| PlumberSkilled Trades | $82,000 | $6,800 |
| ElectricianSkilled Trades | $81,000 | $6,800 |
| Social Media ManagerCreative | $79,000 | $6,600 |
| HVAC TechnicianSkilled Trades | $78,400 | $6,500 |
| Video EditorCreative | $78,300 | $6,500 |
| ParalegalLegal | $77,000 | $6,400 |
| Graphic DesignerCreative | $74,700 | $6,200 |
| TeacherEducation | $74,100 | $6,200 |
| CarpenterSkilled Trades | $70,000 | $5,800 |
| IT Support SpecialistTechnology | $69,100 | $5,800 |
| WelderSkilled Trades | $68,600 | $5,700 |
| PhotographerCreative | $68,300 | $5,700 |
Frequently asked questions
- Are salaries high in Chicago, IL?
- Chicago, IL pays about 10% above the United States average across tracked roles.
- What is the cost of living in Chicago, IL?
- Chicago, IL has a cost-of-living index of 100, where 100 is the US national average. It is cheaper than that baseline.
- What is the highest-paying job in Chicago, IL?
- Of the roles we track, Radiologist leads in Chicago, IL at about $553,000 per year.
- How many careers have salary data for Chicago, IL?
- Pay by Role lists average pay for 77 careers in Chicago, IL, all shown in USD.
- How big is Chicago?
- Chicago has a population of about 2,664,452. Larger labour markets often support a wider spread of salaries across industries.
- How should I read salaries in Chicago, IL?
- Figures are estimates in USD, based on public labour-market data. Compare the city pay index (1.10) and cost-of-living index (100) together — high pay with high living costs can leave less real purchasing power.