Average Salaries in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Explore salaries across 723 occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The average median wage across all tracked occupations is $70.0K, +13.7% vs the national average. See the highest-paying roles, where the jobs are, and how local wages compare to the rest of the country.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates. Coverage: 723 occupations and 4,419,210 total jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
How the metro compares
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays modestly above the national average. Most occupations here earn more than their national equivalents, but the gap is smaller than in top-tier markets.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is one of the largest metro labor markets in the country.
The highest-paid occupation tracked here is General Internal Medicine Physicians. Drill into any occupation below to see its local pay distribution, employment, and how it compares to the national market.
Top-paying and largest occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Two different lenses on the local labor market: which occupations pay the most, and which employ the most workers. The highest-paid list tends to favor specialized professional and technical roles. The largest list reflects where the everyday jobs actually are.
Top wages
Highest-paid occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $234.4K | 1,420 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $221.8K | 80 |
| Physicians, All Other | $215.7K | 14,850 |
| Pediatricians, General | $198.4K | 1,120 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $184.9K | 840 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $182.8K | 1,200 |
| Dentists, General | $175.1K | 3,980 |
| Computer And Information Systems Managers | $168.2K | 21,760 |
| Lawyers | $166.1K | 28,380 |
| Financial Managers | $164.5K | 41,170 |
Most jobs
Largest occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Laborers And Freight, Stock, And Material Movers, Hand | 146,710 | $40.0K |
| General And Operations Managers | 121,110 | $105.3K |
| Fast Food And Counter Workers | 104,270 | $33.0K |
| Retail Salespersons | 102,320 | $34.9K |
| Registered Nurses | 100,620 | $96.5K |
| Home Health And Personal Care Aides | 94,530 | $36.3K |
| Stockers And Order Fillers | 91,750 | $37.9K |
| Cashiers | 82,020 | $33.7K |
| Customer Service Representatives | 81,630 | $45.8K |
| Office Clerks, General | 74,130 | $45.5K |
What Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN specializes in
The location quotient measures how concentrated an occupation is here compared to the national average. A value above 1.00 means the occupation is more common in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN than in the country as a whole, which signals what this metro is known for.
Location quotient
Most concentrated occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
| Occupation | Location quotient | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematical Science Occupations, All Other | 11.32 | $78.9K |
| Hoist And Winch Operators | 4.06 | $116.1K |
| Metal-Refining Furnace Operators And Tenders | 3.80 | $86.3K |
| Library Science Teachers, Postsecondary | 3.04 | $60.4K |
| Pourers And Casters, Metal | 2.87 | $59.9K |
| Nuclear Technicians | 2.77 | $78.8K |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other | 2.71 | $59.7K |
| Physicists | 2.55 | $131.3K |
| Disc Jockeys, Except Radio | 2.54 | N/A |
| Flight Attendants | 2.44 | $62.1K |
Peer markets
Comparable metros
| Metro | Average median | Highest-paid occupation |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $90.4K | Training And Development Managers |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89.2K | Natural Sciences Managers |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $81.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $80.1K | Orthopedic Surgeons, Except Pediatric |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $78.4K | Nurse Anesthetists |
| Vallejo, CA | $77.4K | Lawyers |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $77.2K | Podiatrists |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $77.1K | Neurologists |
Common salary questions for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
What does "average median" mean? +
It is the average of all occupation-level medians in this area. It gives a rough sense of the overall wage level here compared to other states or metros, but it is not the same as a household income figure or a single blended salary.
What is a location quotient? +
A location quotient (LQ) compares how concentrated an occupation is in this area versus the national average. An LQ of 2.0 means the occupation is twice as concentrated here as it is nationally. High-LQ occupations are what this area specializes in.
How are comparable areas selected? +
Peer areas are other metros with a similar overall wage level and employment size. They give you a quick sense of how this area ranks among places with a comparable labor market.