Database Administrators pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,150 a year or less, while the top 10% make $164,050 or more. The middle half of database administrators in Chicago earn between $77,410 and $135,990.
- $60K10th
- $77K25th
- $110KMedian
- $136K75th
- $164K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $111,210 | $9,268 | $53.47 |
| Median | $109,680 | $9,140 | $52.73 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $77,410 | $6,451 | $37.22 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $135,990 | $11,332 | $65.38 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Database Administrators salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $111,210, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $81,702 a year, or $6,809 a month and $3,142 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% 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 | $83,760 | $6,980 |
| Working in IL | $81,702 | $6,809 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for database administrators? 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 $111,210 buys what about $107,351 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 3.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Database Administrators salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 4 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$111,210
- Champaign$107,620
- Peoria$96,390
- Springfield$85,260
Highest-paying cities for database administrators
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($145,150).
- San Jose, CA$145,150
- San Francisco, CA$134,720
- Seattle, WA$131,460
- Boston, MA$130,100
- San Luis Obispo, CA$127,450
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Database Administrators salary in Chicago: questions
How much do database administrators make an hour in Chicago?
$53.47 an hour on average, and $52.73 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level database administrators salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,150 a year and the 25th percentile is $77,410, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the database administrators take-home pay in Chicago?
About $81,702 a year ($6,809 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $111,210.
Do database administrators earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($111,983).
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 15-1242; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.8%.
- 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 0.92, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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