File Clerks pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $74,300 or more. The middle half of file clerks in Chicago earn between $40,940 and $63,760.
- $36K10th
- $41K25th
- $58KMedian
- $64K75th
- $74K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $55,780 | $4,648 | $26.82 |
| Median | $58,320 | $4,860 | $28.04 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $40,940 | $3,412 | $19.68 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $63,760 | $5,313 | $30.65 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
File Clerks salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $55,780, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $44,379 a year, or $3,698 a month and $1,707 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:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in IN | $45,356 | $3,780 |
| Working in IL | $44,379 | $3,698 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for file clerks? 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 $55,780 buys what about $53,844 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 6.3 years of this average salary before tax.
File Clerks salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 6 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$55,780
- Rockford$49,570
- Champaign$49,500
- Peoria$46,530
- Springfield$44,620
- Bloomington$38,100
Highest-paying cities for file clerks
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($65,520).
- San Jose, CA$65,520
- San Francisco, CA$60,000
- Napa, CA$58,830
- Salinas, CA$56,620
- Chicago, IL$55,780
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File Clerks salary in Chicago: questions
How much do file clerks make an hour in Chicago?
$26.82 an hour on average, and $28.04 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level file clerks salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,940, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the file clerks take-home pay in Chicago?
About $44,379 a year ($3,698 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $55,780.
Do file clerks earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 20% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($46,326).
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 43-4071; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.7%.
- 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 1.24, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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