SOC 51-9161 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for computer numerically controlled tool operators in Chicago, Illinois is $52,900 a year ($25.44 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $48,660: half of the 5,480 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($54,845).

$52,900average per year

$25.44 / hourMedian $48,660Take-home ≈ $42,208

  • $39K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $74K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

5,480people in this job
-4%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 7Illinois metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $73,840 or more. The middle half of computer numerically controlled tool operators in Chicago earn between $42,850 and $61,460.

  • $39K10th
  • $43K25th
  • $49KMedian
  • $61K75th
  • $74K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$52,900$4,408$25.43
Median$48,660$4,055$23.39
Entry level (25th percentile)$42,850$3,571$20.60
Experienced (75th percentile)$61,460$5,122$29.55

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $52,900, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $42,208 a year, or $3,517 a month and $1,623 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$43,128$3,594
Working in IL$42,208$3,517

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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Is Chicago a good place for computer numerically controlled tool operators? 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 $52,900 buys what about $51,064 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 6.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $52,900 is worth in another city

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary in other Illinois cities

Chicago ranks 3rd of 7 Illinois metro areas for this job; Bloomington pays the most ($53,160).

All Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for computer numerically controlled tool operators

Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($103,460).

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary by city

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Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators salary in Chicago: questions

How much do computer numerically controlled tool operators make an hour in Chicago?

$25.44 an hour on average, and $23.39 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level computer numerically controlled tool operators salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,850, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the computer numerically controlled tool operators take-home pay in Chicago?

About $42,208 a year ($3,517 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,900.

Do computer numerically controlled tool operators earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($54,845).

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 51-9161; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
  • 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 1.11, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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