Chicago, IL Salary Guide (2024)
The median annual wage across all occupations in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $51,510, spread over roughly 4,473,740 jobs. This guide breaks that down across 80 detailed occupations with released wage data, from laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand down to the smallest job categories BLS can publish.
Salary by occupation in Chicago, IL
Ranked by median annual wage. Every row links to a full page with the local pay distribution, the percentile breakdown, and how the metro compares with the rest of the country.
| Occupation | Hourly | Annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $19.25 | $40,030 | 146,710 |
| General and Operations Managers | $50.63 | $105,310 | 121,110 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $15.88 | $33,020 | 104,270 |
| Retail Salespersons | $16.78 | $34,910 | 102,320 |
| Registered Nurses | $46.38 | $96,480 | 100,620 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $17.47 | $36,340 | 94,530 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $18.24 | $37,940 | 91,750 |
| Cashiers | $16.19 | $33,680 | 82,020 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $22.03 | $45,820 | 81,630 |
| Office Clerks, General | $21.85 | $45,450 | 74,130 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $17.99 | $37,420 | 72,020 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $14.00 | $29,120 | 64,010 |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $30.01 | $62,430 | 54,680 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $23.89 | $49,690 | 52,700 |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $19.50 | $40,560 | 50,050 |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | $31.28 | $65,060 | 49,500 |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | $27.38 | $56,940 | 48,480 |
| Security Guards | $18.57 | $38,630 | 48,140 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $17.83 | $37,090 | 47,100 |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $36.07 | $75,020 | 45,400 |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | $17.71 | $36,830 | 43,600 |
| Nursing Assistants | $22.14 | $46,050 | 42,800 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $33.21 | $69,080 | 42,390 |
| Accountants and Auditors | $39.04 | $81,210 | 41,860 |
| Software Developers | $62.51 | $130,030 | 41,320 |
| Financial Managers | $79.07 | $164,470 | 41,170 |
| Light Truck Drivers | $22.73 | $47,270 | 36,380 |
| Management Analysts | $57.76 | $120,140 | 36,300 |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $24.23 | $50,390 | 36,080 |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | $38.67 | $80,440 | 34,720 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $32.66 | $67,940 | 33,220 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | $19.65 | $40,880 | 31,010 |
| Receptionists and Information Clerks | $18.17 | $37,790 | 29,720 |
| Lawyers | $79.85 | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | $37.65 | $78,320 | 27,950 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $36.72 | $76,380 | 27,750 |
| Bartenders | $14.00 | $29,120 | 27,310 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $21.41 | $44,540 | 26,790 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | $23.33 | $48,530 | 26,220 |
| Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks | $22.19 | $46,150 | 24,870 |
| Sales Managers | $71.13 | $147,940 | 24,390 |
| Food Preparation Workers | $16.84 | $35,020 | 24,090 |
| Human Resources Specialists | $36.35 | $75,610 | 24,080 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $52.35 | $108,890 | 23,340 |
| Construction Laborers | $32.89 | $68,410 | 23,300 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $34.98 | $72,760 | 22,410 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | $22.48 | $46,760 | 22,370 |
| Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents | $46.11 | $95,910 | 21,880 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $80.88 | $168,230 | 21,760 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | $20.25 | $42,110 | 21,500 |
Median pay across these occupations runs from $29,120 to $168,230 — a 5.8× spread between the lowest- and highest-paid detailed occupations in the metro. The all-occupation median of $51,510 sits nearer the bottom of that range, because the largest job categories in most metros are also among the lower-paid ones.
Frequently asked questions about Chicago, IL pay
What is the median salary in Chicago, IL?
Across all occupations, the median annual wage in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $51,510. Total employment covered by the survey is about 4,473,740 jobs.
Which jobs pay the most in Chicago, IL?
The highest median wage in the metro belongs to laborers and freight, stock, and material movers, hand at $40,030, followed by general and operations managers ($105,310) and fast food and counter workers ($33,020).
How many occupations are covered for Chicago, IL?
This guide covers 80 detailed occupations with released wage data for the metro area, out of the 800+ detailed occupations the OEWS survey tracks nationally. Occupations with too few workers locally to publish a reliable estimate are excluded by BLS.
Is this enough to live on in Chicago, IL?
These are nominal wages — they are not adjusted for local housing, tax, or transport costs. A median that looks high in Chicago, IL may buy less than a lower median in a cheaper metro. Use the all-occupation median of $51,510 as the local baseline and compare any specific job against that, not against the national number.
About these figures
Data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024. OEWS surveys employers, so it excludes self-employed workers and independent contractors, and it reports wages rather than total compensation. Occupations with too few workers locally to produce a reliable estimate are suppressed by BLS and therefore absent from this page.
Full detail in the methodology. Original data: bls.gov/oes.