Massage Therapists pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $83,000 or more. The middle half of massage therapists in Chicago earn between $47,020 and $77,550.
- $34K10th
- $47K25th
- $61KMedian
- $78K75th
- $83K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $60,770 | $5,064 | $29.22 |
| Median | $61,200 | $5,100 | $29.42 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $47,020 | $3,918 | $22.61 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $77,550 | $6,462 | $37.28 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Massage Therapists salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $60,770, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $48,142 a year, or $4,012 a month and $1,852 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% 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 | $49,216 | $4,101 |
| Working in IL | $48,142 | $4,012 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for massage therapists? 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 $60,770 buys what about $58,661 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 5.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Massage Therapists salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 4th of 6 Illinois metro areas for this job; Champaign pays the most ($65,650).
- Champaign$65,650
- Rockford$64,530
- Springfield$64,220
- Chicago$60,770
- Bloomington$56,890
- Peoria$56,300
Highest-paying cities for massage therapists
Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($116,560).
- Fairbanks, AK$116,560
- Kahului, HI$101,690
- Seattle, WA$92,510
- Salem, OR$91,630
- Manchester, NH$87,500
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Massage Therapists salary in Chicago: questions
How much do massage therapists make an hour in Chicago?
$29.22 an hour on average, and $29.42 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level massage therapists salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $47,020, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the massage therapists take-home pay in Chicago?
About $48,142 a year ($4,012 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $60,770.
Do massage therapists earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($63,094).
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 31-9011; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.5%.
- 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 1.36, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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