SOC 15-1244 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Network and Computer Systems Administrators Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for network and computer systems administrators in Chicago, Illinois is $108,870 a year ($52.34 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $103,170: half of the 6,950 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($104,999).

$108,870average per year

$52.34 / hourMedian $103,170Take-home ≈ $80,172

  • $69K10th
  • $83K25th
  • $103KMedian
  • $130K75th
  • $162K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

6,950people in this job
+4%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 8Illinois metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Network and Computer Systems Administrators pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $68,990 a year or less, while the top 10% make $162,290 or more. The middle half of network and computer systems administrators in Chicago earn between $82,750 and $130,120.

  • $69K10th
  • $83K25th
  • $103KMedian
  • $130K75th
  • $162K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$108,870$9,072$52.34
Median$103,170$8,598$49.60
Entry level (25th percentile)$82,750$6,896$39.78
Experienced (75th percentile)$130,120$10,843$62.56

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Network and Computer Systems Administrators salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $108,870, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $80,172 a year, or $6,681 a month and $3,084 every two weeks. Taxes take 26% 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:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$82,184$6,849
Working in IL$80,172$6,681

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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Is Chicago a good place for network and computer systems administrators? 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 $108,870 buys what about $105,092 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 3.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $108,870 is worth in another city

Network and Computer Systems Administrators salary in other Illinois cities

Chicago ranks 3rd of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Springfield pays the most ($114,630).

All Network and Computer Systems Administrators salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for network and computer systems administrators

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($136,400).

Network and Computer Systems Administrators salary by city

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Network and Computer Systems Administrators salary in Chicago: questions

How much do network and computer systems administrators make an hour in Chicago?

$52.34 an hour on average, and $49.60 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level network and computer systems administrators salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $68,990 a year and the 25th percentile is $82,750, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the network and computer systems administrators take-home pay in Chicago?

About $80,172 a year ($6,681 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $108,870.

Do network and computer systems administrators earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($104,999).

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 15-1244; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.9%.
  • 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 0.76, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.76).

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