Jobs, pay and daily life in Chicago, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Chicago is a city in Illinois with 2,721,326 residents. The median household earns $80,613 a year and the median rent is $1,486 a month, which is 22.1% of the median household income. It is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, where BLS counts 4,513,280 jobs.
Federal jobs in Illinois (1,067) →State guide: IllinoisCountry guide
There are 1,067 federal postings open in Illinois (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Illinois →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 157,920 | 1.84 | $40,550 | $31,860 | $56,440 | +1% |
| General and Operations Managers | 122,930 | 1.21 | $109,390 | $58,000 | $298,090 | +3% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 108,520 | 0.87 | $38,180 | $35,030 | $42,500 | +7% |
| Registered Nurses | 100,240 | 1.02 | $100,490 | $77,410 | $119,260 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 99,240 | 1.11 | $35,010 | $31,200 | $41,280 | +6% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 97,280 | 0.87 | $34,630 | $31,200 | $38,610 | +11% |
| Retail Salespersons | 96,950 | 0.86 | $35,820 | $31,200 | $48,580 | +1% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 79,850 | 0.97 | $38,450 | $33,310 | $49,100 | +3% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 75,240 | 1.00 | $47,100 | $34,480 | $71,530 | +5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 70,000 | 1.09 | $38,470 | $32,760 | $50,000 | +4% |
| Office Clerks, General | 66,840 | 0.93 | $46,330 | $32,580 | $72,910 | +3% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 62,210 | 1.04 | $62,300 | $41,300 | $88,230 | +6% |
| Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel | 55,730 | 1.53 | $70,710 | $39,570 | $154,540 | +1% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 54,100 | 0.82 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $50,410 | -11% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 50,190 | 1.01 | $50,440 | $34,300 | $78,820 | +6% |
| Security Guards | 48,360 | 1.30 | $39,990 | $35,940 | $64,180 | +5% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 47,970 | 1.18 | $43,650 | $34,160 | $61,580 | -2% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 46,770 | 1.13 | $37,840 | $31,200 | $48,100 | +3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 45,850 | 1.09 | $46,940 | $38,980 | $54,450 | +11% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 45,840 | 1.14 | $78,390 | $48,960 | $105,250 | +23% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 3,610 | 0.61 | $344,960 | $142,940 | $599,520 | +61% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 6,360 | 2.11 | $293,490 | $179,840 | $429,040 | +26% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 840 | 0.56 | $265,880 | $103,490 | $479,410 | +12% |
| Psychiatrists | 600 | 0.74 | $258,750 | $134,770 | $487,560 | -8% |
| Emergency Medicine Physicians | 960 | 1.01 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | ≥ $239,200 | n/a |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | 680 | 0.35 | $226,060 | $67,080 | $521,810 | -12% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 1,430 | 0.46 | $225,080 | $94,990 | $320,380 | -8% |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | 1,120 | 1.81 | $208,000 | $208,000 | $369,800 | -29% |
| Air Traffic Controllers | 850 | 1.30 | $189,780 | $89,690 | $225,680 | +28% |
| Pediatricians, General | 860 | 0.75 | $188,340 | $106,520 | $379,260 | -10% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 24,950 | 1.28 | $173,760 | $112,980 | $280,060 | -1% |
| Financial Managers | 41,590 | 1.70 | $168,810 | $103,490 | $321,200 | +1% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 2,270 | 0.72 | $167,040 | $87,010 | $293,270 | -0% |
| Lawyers | 28,320 | 1.29 | $165,660 | $87,070 | $331,140 | +4% |
| Marketing Managers | 17,400 | 1.52 | $165,340 | $98,400 | $277,220 | -1% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 6,670 | 1.04 | $163,430 | $112,440 | $235,240 | -5% |
| Sales Managers | 25,390 | 1.37 | $158,690 | $80,060 | $288,430 | +7% |
| Commercial Pilots | 840 | 0.61 | $157,420 | $51,890 | $376,830 | +28% |
| Human Resources Managers | 10,810 | 1.69 | $156,770 | $93,230 | $270,150 | +5% |
| Dentists, General | 5,910 | 1.64 | $156,100 | $123,920 | $290,850 | -9% |
These figures are for the whole Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $54,720 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 17.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 9.0% |
| Retail trade | 8.2% |
| Manufacturing | 7.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.1% |
| Other services | 4.5% |
| Public administration | 4.2% |
| Construction | 3.9% |
| Information | 2.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.2% |
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 43.5% |
| Public transit | 20.5% |
| Walk | 7.1% |
| Work from home | 17.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 27.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $80,613 |
| Income per person | $51,976 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,486 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.1% |
| Median home value | $341,200 |
| Homeowners | 46.5% |
| Poverty rate | 16.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 103.6 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $54,720 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 35.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.4% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 46.4% |
| Born abroad | 21.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 69.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -2.5 | 28 | 48 |
| Feb | -2.3 | 28 | 54 |
| Mar | 2.0 | 36 | 62 |
| Apr | 6.9 | 44 | 94 |
| May | 11.8 | 53 | 117 |
| Jun | 18.1 | 65 | 102 |
| Jul | 22.5 | 72 | 95 |
| Aug | 22.6 | 73 | 105 |
| Sep | 19.1 | 66 | 86 |
| Oct | 12.3 | 54 | 99 |
| Nov | 6.0 | 43 | 61 |
| Dec | 0.5 | 33 | 58 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naperville | IL | 25 mi | 150,692 | $155,105 | $1,885 |
| Aurora | IL | 32 mi | 179,898 | $93,633 | $1,596 |
| Joliet | IL | 33 mi | 150,445 | $92,201 | $1,276 |
| Rockford | IL | 77 mi | 147,521 | $54,752 | $985 |
| Milwaukee | WI | 86 mi | 563,512 | $56,792 | $1,081 |
| Madison | WI | 124 mi | 278,001 | $78,050 | $1,413 |
| Grand Rapids | MI | 129 mi | 198,535 | $69,108 | $1,266 |
| Fort Wayne | IN | 141 mi | 268,589 | $61,422 | $999 |
| Indianapolis city | IN | 164 mi | 890,315 | $66,900 | $1,219 |
| Ann Arbor | MI | 205 mi | 122,036 | $82,212 | $1,649 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
2,721,326 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,486 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.1% of the median household income.
$80,613 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.4% (BLS metro area 2026M09).
Illinois. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.