Athletic Trainers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,280 a year or less, while the top 10% make $89,800 or more. The middle half of athletic trainers in Chicago earn between $55,750 and $77,820.
- $50K10th
- $56K25th
- $66KMedian
- $78K75th
- $90K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $69,700 | $5,808 | — |
| Median | $65,780 | $5,482 | — |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $55,750 | $4,646 | — |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $77,820 | $6,485 | — |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).
Athletic Trainers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $69,700, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $54,555 a year, or $4,546 a month and $2,098 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $55,803 | $4,650 |
| Working in IL | $54,555 | $4,546 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for athletic trainers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $69,700 buys what about $67,281 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 5.1 years of this average salary before tax.
Athletic Trainers salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 2 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$69,700
- Champaign$64,730
Highest-paying cities for athletic trainers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,240).
- San Jose, CA$91,240
- San Francisco, CA$84,990
- Waterbury, CT$82,610
- New York, NY$81,290
- McAllen, TX$81,150
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Athletic Trainers salary in Chicago: questions
What is the entry-level athletic trainers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $50,280 a year and the 25th percentile is $55,750, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the athletic trainers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $54,555 a year ($4,546 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $69,700.
Do athletic trainers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($68,093).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-9091; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.73, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.73).
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