Lighting Technicians pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,330 a year or less, while the top 10% make $117,870 or more. The middle half of lighting technicians in Chicago earn between $57,170 and $112,490.
- $49K10th
- $57K25th
- $73KMedian
- $112K75th
- $118K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $79,610 | $6,634 | $38.27 |
| Median | $72,790 | $6,066 | $35.00 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $57,170 | $4,764 | $27.49 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $112,490 | $9,374 | $54.08 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Lighting Technicians salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $79,610, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $61,036 a year, or $5,086 a month and $2,348 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 | $62,477 | $5,206 |
| Working in IL | $61,036 | $5,086 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for lighting technicians? 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 $79,610 buys what about $76,847 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 4.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Lighting Technicians salary in nearby metro areas
- Cincinnati, OH$62,490
- Columbus, OH$52,100
- Nashville, TN$85,710
- Buffalo, NY$65,820
- Washington, DC$67,390
- Atlanta, GA$79,140
Highest-paying cities for lighting technicians
Seattle, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($131,060).
- Seattle, WA$131,060
- Los Angeles, CA$101,180
- New York, NY$92,420
- San Francisco, CA$89,610
- Nashville, TN$85,710
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Lighting Technicians salary in Chicago: questions
How much do lighting technicians make an hour in Chicago?
$38.28 an hour on average, and $35.00 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level lighting technicians salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,330 a year and the 25th percentile is $57,170, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the lighting technicians take-home pay in Chicago?
About $61,036 a year ($5,086 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $79,610.
Do lighting technicians earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 7% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($85,222).
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 27-4015; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 10.6%.
- 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 0.49, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.49).
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