Prepress Technicians and Workers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,290 a year or less, while the top 10% make $78,140 or more. The middle half of prepress technicians and workers in Chicago earn between $44,770 and $66,670.
- $38K10th
- $45K25th
- $50KMedian
- $67K75th
- $78K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $54,970 | $4,581 | $26.43 |
| Median | $49,680 | $4,140 | $23.88 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $44,770 | $3,731 | $21.52 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $66,670 | $5,556 | $32.05 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Prepress Technicians and Workers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $54,970, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $43,768 a year, or $3,647 a month and $1,683 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 | $44,729 | $3,727 |
| Working in IL | $43,768 | $3,647 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for prepress technicians and workers? 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 $54,970 buys what about $53,062 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 6.4 years of this average salary before tax.
Prepress Technicians and Workers salary in nearby metro areas
- Milwaukee, WI$51,690
- Madison, WI$53,160
- Grand Rapids, MI$49,960
- Fort Wayne, IN$52,870
- Indianapolis, IN$51,440
- Oshkosh, WI$57,210
Highest-paying cities for prepress technicians and workers
Washington, DC pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($74,030).
- Washington, DC$74,030
- San Jose, CA$69,680
- Boston, MA$61,600
- San Francisco, CA$61,190
- Bridgeport, CT$59,150
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Prepress Technicians and Workers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do prepress technicians and workers make an hour in Chicago?
$26.43 an hour on average, and $23.89 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level prepress technicians and workers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,290 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,770, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the prepress technicians and workers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $43,768 a year ($3,647 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $54,970.
Do prepress technicians and workers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($51,984).
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 51-5111; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.4%.
- 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 0.84, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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