Medical Equipment Preparers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $71,240 or more. The middle half of medical equipment preparers in Chicago earn between $46,850 and $57,370.
- $39K10th
- $47K25th
- $49KMedian
- $57K75th
- $71K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $52,720 | $4,393 | $25.35 |
| Median | $48,630 | $4,052 | $23.38 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $46,850 | $3,904 | $22.52 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $57,370 | $4,781 | $27.58 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Medical Equipment Preparers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $52,720, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $42,072 a year, or $3,506 a month and $1,618 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 | $42,989 | $3,582 |
| Working in IL | $42,072 | $3,506 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for medical equipment preparers? 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 $52,720 buys what about $50,890 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 6.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Medical Equipment Preparers salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 6 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$52,720
- Peoria$46,150
- Rockford$45,690
- Champaign$43,890
- Bloomington$42,950
- Springfield$42,050
Highest-paying cities for medical equipment preparers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($84,800).
- San Jose, CA$84,800
- San Francisco, CA$77,440
- Vallejo, CA$76,760
- Sacramento, CA$74,690
- Santa Cruz, CA$70,730
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Medical Equipment Preparers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do medical equipment preparers make an hour in Chicago?
$25.35 an hour on average, and $23.38 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level medical equipment preparers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,850, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the medical equipment preparers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $42,072 a year ($3,506 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $52,720.
Do medical equipment preparers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($51,284).
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 31-9093; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.1%.
- 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 0.95, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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