Highway Maintenance Workers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,110 a year or less, while the top 10% make $102,530 or more. The middle half of highway maintenance workers in Chicago earn between $53,130 and $91,140.
- $42K10th
- $53K25th
- $76KMedian
- $91K75th
- $103K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $72,470 | $6,039 | $34.84 |
| Median | $76,220 | $6,352 | $36.64 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $53,130 | $4,428 | $25.54 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $91,140 | $7,595 | $43.82 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Highway Maintenance Workers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $72,470, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $56,366 a year, or $4,697 a month and $2,168 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% 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 | $57,669 | $4,806 |
| Working in IL | $56,366 | $4,697 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for highway maintenance workers? 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 $72,470 buys what about $69,955 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Highway Maintenance Workers salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Springfield pays the most ($72,660).
- Springfield$72,660
- Chicago$72,470
- Champaign$69,270
- Kankakee$67,520
- Bloomington$65,610
- Peoria$64,990
- Rockford$59,070
- Decatur$58,710
Highest-paying cities for highway maintenance workers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($84,480).
- San Jose, CA$84,480
- Vallejo, CA$75,770
- Seattle, WA$75,480
- Springfield, IL$72,660
- Chicago, IL$72,470
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Highway Maintenance Workers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do highway maintenance workers make an hour in Chicago?
$34.84 an hour on average, and $36.64 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level highway maintenance workers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,110 a year and the 25th percentile is $53,130, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the highway maintenance workers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $56,366 a year ($4,697 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $72,470.
Do highway maintenance workers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 32% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($54,738).
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 47-4051; 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 0.91, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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