Light Truck Drivers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $91,900 or more. The middle half of light truck drivers in Chicago earn between $42,460 and $61,600.
- $35K10th
- $42K25th
- $48KMedian
- $62K75th
- $92K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $54,780 | $4,565 | $26.34 |
| Median | $47,950 | $3,996 | $23.05 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $42,460 | $3,538 | $20.41 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $61,600 | $5,133 | $29.62 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Light Truck Drivers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $54,780, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $43,625 a year, or $3,635 a month and $1,678 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 | $44,582 | $3,715 |
| Working in IL | $43,625 | $3,635 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for light truck drivers? 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 $54,780 buys what about $52,879 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 6.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Light Truck Drivers salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 3rd of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Decatur pays the most ($57,850).
- Decatur$57,850
- Champaign$55,710
- Chicago$54,780
- Rockford$54,040
- Springfield$49,450
- Peoria$47,890
- Kankakee$47,300
- Bloomington$46,740
Highest-paying cities for light truck drivers
Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($64,130).
- Anchorage, AK$64,130
- Memphis, TN$59,140
- San Francisco, CA$58,770
- Decatur, IL$57,850
- San Jose, CA$57,840
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Light Truck Drivers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do light truck drivers make an hour in Chicago?
$26.34 an hour on average, and $23.05 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level light truck drivers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $42,460, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the light truck drivers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $43,625 a year ($3,635 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,780.
Do light truck drivers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($49,279).
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 53-3033; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
- 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 1.22, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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