Landscape Architects pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $105,340 or more. The middle half of landscape architects in Chicago earn between $54,770 and $77,510.
- $55K10th
- $55K25th
- $67KMedian
- $78K75th
- $105K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $73,520 | $6,127 | $35.35 |
| Median | $66,830 | $5,569 | $32.13 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $54,770 | $4,564 | $26.33 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $77,510 | $6,459 | $37.26 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Landscape Architects salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $73,520, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $57,053 a year, or $4,754 a month and $2,194 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 | $58,376 | $4,865 |
| Working in IL | $57,053 | $4,754 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for landscape architects? 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 $73,520 buys what about $70,969 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 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.
Landscape Architects salary in nearby metro areas
- Milwaukee, WI$72,920
- Madison, WI$84,350
- Grand Rapids, MI$78,620
- Fort Wayne, IN$68,440
- Indianapolis, IN$71,410
- Ann Arbor, MI$91,220
Highest-paying cities for landscape architects
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($135,010).
- San Francisco, CA$135,010
- San Jose, CA$123,990
- Sacramento, CA$108,430
- Riverside, CA$105,910
- Los Angeles, CA$104,980
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Landscape Architects salary in Chicago: questions
How much do landscape architects make an hour in Chicago?
$35.35 an hour on average, and $32.13 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level landscape architects salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $54,770, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the landscape architects take-home pay in Chicago?
About $57,053 a year ($4,754 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $73,520.
Do landscape architects earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 18% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($90,016).
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 17-1012; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.3%.
- 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 1.50, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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