Postal Service Mail Carriers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,160 a year or less, while the top 10% make $81,040 or more. The middle half of postal service mail carriers in Chicago earn between $52,190 and $81,040.
- $44K10th
- $52K25th
- $64KMedian
- $81K75th
- $81K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $64,740 | $5,395 | $31.12 |
| Median | $63,750 | $5,312 | $30.65 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $52,190 | $4,349 | $25.09 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $81,040 | $6,753 | $38.96 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Postal Service Mail Carriers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $64,740, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $51,135 a year, or $4,261 a month and $1,967 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 | $52,286 | $4,357 |
| Working in IL | $51,135 | $4,261 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for postal service mail carriers? 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 $64,740 buys what about $62,493 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 5.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Postal Service Mail Carriers salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$64,740
- Bloomington$64,010
- Champaign$62,050
- Peoria$61,740
- Decatur$61,640
- Rockford$61,560
- Springfield$61,340
- Kankakee$59,670
Highest-paying cities for postal service mail carriers
Bozeman, MT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($69,930).
- Bozeman, MT$69,930
- Lawrence, KS$67,790
- Napa, CA$67,090
- San Francisco, CA$66,130
- Bay City, MI$66,040
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Postal Service Mail Carriers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do postal service mail carriers make an hour in Chicago?
$31.13 an hour on average, and $30.65 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level postal service mail carriers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,160 a year and the 25th percentile is $52,190, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the postal service mail carriers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $51,135 a year ($4,261 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,740.
Do postal service mail carriers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($63,066).
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 43-5052; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.0%.
- 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 1.08, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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