Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,640 a year or less, while the top 10% make $106,510 or more. The middle half of kindergarten teachers (except special education) in Chicago earn between $59,630 and $91,080.
- $49K10th
- $60K25th
- $70KMedian
- $91K75th
- $107K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $74,470 | $6,206 | — |
| Median | $70,250 | $5,854 | — |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,630 | $4,969 | — |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $91,080 | $7,590 | — |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $74,470, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $57,674 a year, or $4,806 a month and $2,218 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% 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 | $59,016 | $4,918 |
| Working in IL | $57,674 | $4,806 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for kindergarten teachers (except special education)? 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 $74,470 buys what about $71,886 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$74,470
- Springfield$70,520
- Rockford$70,480
- Bloomington$67,350
- Champaign$61,500
- Decatur$60,910
- Peoria$59,100
- Kankakee$57,350
All Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education salaries in Illinois
Highest-paying cities for kindergarten teachers (except special education)
Modesto, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($107,550).
- Modesto, CA$107,550
- Seattle, WA$101,370
- El Centro, CA$101,090
- Mount Vernon, WA$100,150
- Visalia, CA$99,130
Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education salary by city
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Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education salary in Chicago: questions
What is the entry-level kindergarten teachers (except special education) salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,640 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,630, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the kindergarten teachers (except special education) take-home pay in Chicago?
About $57,674 a year ($4,806 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,470.
Do kindergarten teachers (except special education) earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($71,261).
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 25-2012; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
- 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 1.06, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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