Chemists pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $145,930 or more. The middle half of chemists in Chicago earn between $72,950 and $123,290.
- $62K10th
- $73K25th
- $91KMedian
- $123K75th
- $146K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $100,450 | $8,371 | $48.29 |
| Median | $90,920 | $7,577 | $43.71 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $72,950 | $6,079 | $35.07 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $123,290 | $10,274 | $59.27 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Chemists salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $100,450, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $74,665 a year, or $6,222 a month and $2,872 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% 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 | $76,513 | $6,376 |
| Working in IL | $74,665 | $6,222 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for chemists? 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 $100,450 buys what about $96,964 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 3.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Chemists salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 4 Illinois metro areas for this job; Peoria pays the most ($116,760).
- Peoria$116,760
- Chicago$100,450
- Springfield$86,300
- Champaign$80,050
Highest-paying cities for chemists
Washington, DC pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($144,550).
- Washington, DC$144,550
- Bay City, MI$139,910
- Lexington Park, MD$132,480
- San Francisco, CA$130,870
- Boston, MA$130,520
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Chemists salary in Chicago: questions
How much do chemists make an hour in Chicago?
$48.29 an hour on average, and $43.71 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level chemists salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $72,950, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the chemists take-home pay in Chicago?
About $74,665 a year ($6,222 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $100,450.
Do chemists earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($101,816).
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 19-2031; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.1%.
- 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 1.10, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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