Editors pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,980 a year or less, while the top 10% make $119,530 or more. The middle half of editors in Chicago earn between $60,600 and $99,080.
- $43K10th
- $61K25th
- $80KMedian
- $99K75th
- $120K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $81,020 | $6,752 | $38.95 |
| Median | $80,380 | $6,698 | $38.64 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $60,600 | $5,050 | $29.13 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $99,080 | $8,257 | $47.63 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Editors salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $81,020, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $61,958 a year, or $5,163 a month and $2,383 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% 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 | $63,427 | $5,286 |
| Working in IL | $61,958 | $5,163 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for editors? 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 $81,020 buys what about $78,208 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Editors salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 5 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$81,020
- Springfield$70,340
- Rockford$66,870
- Champaign$65,090
- Peoria$62,210
Highest-paying cities for editors
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($120,530).
- San Jose, CA$120,530
- Los Angeles, CA$119,300
- New York, NY$119,160
- San Francisco, CA$114,540
- Waterbury, CT$110,240
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Editors salary in Chicago: questions
How much do editors make an hour in Chicago?
$38.95 an hour on average, and $38.64 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level editors salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,980 a year and the 25th percentile is $60,600, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the editors take-home pay in Chicago?
About $61,958 a year ($5,163 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $81,020.
Do editors earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 14% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($94,300).
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 27-3041; 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 0.95, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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