SOC 29-1217 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Neurologists Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for neurologists in Chicago, Illinois is $242,360 a year ($116.52 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $136,030: half of the 170 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 14% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($280,955).

$242,360average per year

$116.52 / hourMedian $136,030Take-home ≈ $166,311

  • $85K10th
  • $88K25th
  • $136KMedian
  • $400K75th
  • $481K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

170people in this job
-14%vs U.S. metro average
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Neurologists pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $85,140 a year or less, while the top 10% make $481,040 or more. The middle half of neurologists in Chicago earn between $87,640 and $399,880.

  • $85K10th
  • $88K25th
  • $136KMedian
  • $400K75th
  • $481K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$242,360$20,197$116.52
Median$136,030$11,336$65.40
Entry level (25th percentile)$87,640$7,303$42.13
Experienced (75th percentile)$399,880$33,323$192.25

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

Neurologists salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $242,360, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $166,311 a year, or $13,859 a month and $6,397 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% 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$170,926$14,244
Working in IL$166,311$13,859

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 neurologists? 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 $242,360 buys what about $233,950 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 1.5 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $242,360 is worth in another city

Neurologists salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for neurologists

Buffalo, NY pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($448,720).

Neurologists salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Neurologists in Chicago, IL.

Neurologists salary in Chicago: questions

How much do neurologists make an hour in Chicago?

$116.52 an hour on average, and $65.40 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level neurologists salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $85,140 a year and the 25th percentile is $87,640, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the neurologists take-home pay in Chicago?

About $166,311 a year ($13,859 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $242,360.

Do neurologists earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is 14% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($280,955).

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 29-1217; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.0%.
  • 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 0.56, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.56).

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