Salaries & Cost of Living in Chicago, Illinois
A tier-one metropolis offering big-city amenities, world-class architecture, and enterprise headquarters at a fraction of coastal housing costs. Discover salary benchmarks, wage percentiles, state income tax deductions, and housing costs across 20+ high-demand professions in Chicago.
Chicago Cost of Living by Expense Category
Normalized cost index (100 = U.S. National Average).
Key City Advantages & Living Factors
Climate: Humid Continental (Cold winters, warm summers)Role Salaries in Chicago
Explore 10th to 90th percentile salary benchmarks and estimated monthly take-home pay in Chicago.
| Job Title | Category | Median Base Pay | Est. Net Take-Home | View Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Product Manager | Product | $207,200/yr | ~$13,131/mo | View |
| Senior Software Engineer | Engineering | $196,000/yr | ~$12,422/mo | View |
| Product Manager | Product | $159,040/yr | ~$10,079/mo | View |
| DevOps & Cloud Engineer | Engineering | $156,800/yr | ~$9,937/mo | View |
| Data Scientist | Data | $154,560/yr | ~$9,795/mo | View |
| Backend Engineer | Engineering | $151,200/yr | ~$9,582/mo | View |
| Software Engineer | Engineering | $147,840/yr | ~$9,369/mo | View |
| Frontend Engineer | Engineering | $138,880/yr | ~$8,802/mo | View |
| Product Designer | Design | $136,640/yr | ~$8,660/mo | View |
| Growth Marketer | Marketing | $128,800/yr | ~$8,163/mo | View |
| UX / UI Designer | Design | $125,440/yr | ~$7,950/mo | View |
| Marketing Manager | Marketing | $120,960/yr | ~$7,666/mo | View |
| Account Executive (SaaS) | Sales | $117,600/yr | ~$7,453/mo | View |
| QA & Test Automation Engineer | Engineering | $114,240/yr | ~$7,240/mo | View |
| Financial Analyst | Finance | $107,520/yr | ~$6,814/mo | View |
| Technical Recruiter | Human Resources | $105,280/yr | ~$6,672/mo | View |
| Data Analyst | Data | $103,040/yr | ~$6,530/mo | View |
| Customer Success Manager | Customer Support | $99,680/yr | ~$6,317/mo | View |
| SEO Specialist | Marketing | $95,200/yr | ~$6,033/mo | View |
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Frequently Asked Questions: Living & Working in Chicago
What is considered a good salary in Chicago?
In Chicago, an annual salary between $90,000 and $140,000 is generally considered very comfortable for a single professional, easily covering median 1-bedroom rental costs ($1,850/mo) while allowing significant savings.
How do salaries in Chicago compare to the U.S. national average?
On average, compensation in Chicago is 12% above the U.S. national baseline across technology, product, and engineering roles.
What are state income taxes in Chicago (IL)?
The estimated statutory state and local income tax rate in Chicago is approximately 4.95%.
What is the average rent in Chicago?
The median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Chicago, Illinois is currently around $1,850 per month.
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