Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,580 a year or less, while the top 10% make $51,040 or more. The middle half of mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) in Chicago earn between $35,790 and $46,130.
- $35K10th
- $36K25th
- $39KMedian
- $46K75th
- $51K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $41,400 | $3,450 | $19.90 |
| Median | $38,570 | $3,214 | $18.54 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $35,790 | $2,982 | $17.21 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $46,130 | $3,844 | $22.18 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $41,400, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $33,537 a year, or $2,795 a month and $1,290 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% 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 | $34,233 | $2,853 |
| Working in IL | $33,537 | $2,795 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)? 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 $41,400 buys what about $39,963 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 8.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 5 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$41,400
- Champaign$40,450
- Bloomington$39,780
- Peoria$38,560
- Springfield$35,920
All Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salaries in Illinois
Highest-paying cities for mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service)
San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($52,100).
- San Francisco, CA$52,100
- Seattle, WA$50,970
- Boston, MA$50,230
- Jacksonville, FL$50,200
- San Jose, CA$49,920
Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary by city
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Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service salary in Chicago: questions
How much do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) make an hour in Chicago?
$19.91 an hour on average, and $18.54 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,580 a year and the 25th percentile is $35,790, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) take-home pay in Chicago?
About $33,537 a year ($2,795 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $41,400.
Do mail clerks and mail machine operators (except postal service) earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($42,093).
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 43-9051; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.3%.
- 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 1.48, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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