Lawyers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $87,070 a year or less, while the top 10% make $331,140 or more. The middle half of lawyers in Chicago earn between $106,980 and $232,270.
- $87K10th
- $107K25th
- $166KMedian
- $232K75th
- $331K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $187,420 | $15,618 | $90.11 |
| Median | $165,660 | $13,805 | $79.64 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $106,980 | $8,915 | $51.43 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $232,270 | $19,356 | $111.67 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Lawyers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $187,420, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $130,412 a year, or $10,868 a month and $5,016 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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 | $133,956 | $11,163 |
| Working in IL | $130,412 | $10,868 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for lawyers? 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 $187,420 buys what about $180,916 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 3.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 1.9 years of this average salary before tax.
Lawyers salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$187,420
- Peoria$171,780
- Champaign$160,490
- Springfield$143,130
- Kankakee$142,730
- Bloomington$136,440
- Rockford$136,090
- Decatur$126,430
Highest-paying cities for lawyers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($288,980).
- San Jose, CA$288,980
- Santa Rosa, CA$248,950
- Los Angeles, CA$241,500
- San Francisco, CA$237,060
- Bridgeport, CT$231,710
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Lawyers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do lawyers make an hour in Chicago?
$90.11 an hour on average, and $79.64 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level lawyers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $87,070 a year and the 25th percentile is $106,980, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the lawyers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $130,412 a year ($10,868 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $187,420.
Do lawyers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($188,323).
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 23-1011; 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 1.29, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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