Physician Assistants pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $105,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $164,200 or more. The middle half of physician assistants in Chicago earn between $122,780 and $145,600.
- $105K10th
- $123K25th
- $128KMedian
- $146K75th
- $164K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $134,170 | $11,181 | $64.50 |
| Median | $127,940 | $10,662 | $61.51 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $122,780 | $10,232 | $59.03 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $145,600 | $12,133 | $70.00 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Physician Assistants salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $134,170, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $96,471 a year, or $8,039 a month and $3,710 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% 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 | $98,976 | $8,248 |
| Working in IL | $96,471 | $8,039 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for physician assistants? 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 $134,170 buys what about $129,514 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 2.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Physician Assistants salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 5 Illinois metro areas for this job; Champaign pays the most ($138,360).
- Champaign$138,360
- Chicago$134,170
- Peoria$132,850
- Springfield$131,750
- Rockford$128,200
Highest-paying cities for physician assistants
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($207,660).
- San Jose, CA$207,660
- Salinas, CA$202,320
- San Francisco, CA$182,610
- Vallejo, CA$182,520
- Bakersfield, CA$177,840
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Physician Assistants salary in Chicago: questions
How much do physician assistants make an hour in Chicago?
$64.51 an hour on average, and $61.51 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level physician assistants salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $105,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $122,780, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the physician assistants take-home pay in Chicago?
About $96,471 a year ($8,039 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $134,170.
Do physician assistants earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($141,862).
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 29-1071; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.0%.
- 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 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).
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