Chicago skyline - salary insights and cost of living guide

Salary Guide: Chicago

United States · Salary & Cost of Living Guide 2026

0 Median Salary
0 CoL Index
0 Avg Rent 1BR
0 Tech Hub Score

Chicago is a growing hub for technology and professional services, with a median salary of $65,000 and a cost of living index of 78 (NYC = 100). Whether you're evaluating a job offer, planning a relocation to Chicago, or benchmarking your current compensation, understanding the local salary landscape is essential. Below you'll find salary benchmarks across 28+ roles, cost breakdowns, and tools to assess whether your salary is competitive in Chicago.

Is Your Salary Good in Chicago?

Select a salary amount to see a detailed breakdown of how it compares in Chicago.

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Job Salaries in Chicago

Explore salary data for 28+ roles in Chicago. Click any role to see detailed ranges and trends.

Engineering Manager
$166,000 median
Senior Software Engineer
$162,000 median
Senior Product Manager
$155,000 median
Ai Engineer
$143,000 median
Machine Learning Engineer
$136,000 median
Site Reliability Engineer
$132,000 median
Security Engineer
$126,000 median
Devops Engineer
$123,000 median
Cloud Engineer
$121,000 median
Software Engineer
$119,000 median
Product Manager
$119,000 median
Data Scientist
$119,000 median
Data Engineer
$117,000 median
Ios Developer
$112,000 median
Full Stack Developer
$111,000 median
Backend Developer
$111,000 median
Android Developer
$109,000 median
Program Manager
$109,000 median
Mobile Developer
$109,000 median
Management Consultant
$106,000 median
Frontend Developer
$102,000 median
Product Owner
$98,000 median
Project Manager
$92,000 median
Cybersecurity Analyst
$92,000 median
Scrum Master
$89,000 median
Qa Engineer
$85,000 median
Business Analyst
$81,000 median
Data Analyst
$77,000 median

Compare Chicago vs Other Cities

See how Chicago stacks up against other global tech hubs in salaries, cost of living, and quality of life.

VS Chicago vs London VS Chicago vs San Francisco VS Chicago vs Berlin VS Chicago vs Singapore VS Chicago vs Toronto VS Chicago vs Sydney

Cost of Living in Chicago

Chicago at a Glance

Map of Chicago showing key areas and neighborhoods
Median Salary
$65,000/year
Before taxes
Average Rent (1BR)
$2,000/month
City center
Average Rent (2BR)
$2,800/month
City center
Monthly Transport
$110
Public transit pass
Groceries Index
82
NYC = 100
Purchasing Power
92
NYC = 100, higher is better
Tech Hub Score
7/10
Job market strength
Effective Tax Rate
27.5%
At median income

Am I Overpaid or Underpaid in Chicago?

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Last updated: 2026-04-19 | Data sources: Numbeo, OECD, Glassdoor, and local government statistics.