Real Estate Brokers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,660 a year or less, while the top 10% make $137,380 or more. The middle half of real estate brokers in Chicago earn between $51,590 and $105,670.
- $36K10th
- $52K25th
- $67KMedian
- $106K75th
- $137K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $82,190 | $6,849 | $39.51 |
| Median | $67,320 | $5,610 | $32.37 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $51,590 | $4,299 | $24.80 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $105,670 | $8,806 | $50.80 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Real Estate Brokers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $82,190, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $62,723 a year, or $5,227 a month and $2,412 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% 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 | $64,215 | $5,351 |
| Working in IL | $62,723 | $5,227 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for real estate brokers? 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 $82,190 buys what about $79,338 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 4.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Real Estate Brokers salary in nearby metro areas
- Milwaukee, WI$137,160
- Madison, WI$84,910
- Grand Rapids, MI$81,500
- Davenport, IA$61,980
- Indianapolis, IN$99,160
- Lansing, MI$87,070
Highest-paying cities for real estate brokers
Milwaukee, WI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($137,160).
- Milwaukee, WI$137,160
- Durham, NC$134,280
- Charlotte, NC$126,750
- Los Angeles, CA$115,770
- Providence, RI$114,000
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Real Estate Brokers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do real estate brokers make an hour in Chicago?
$39.52 an hour on average, and $32.36 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level real estate brokers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,660 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,590, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the real estate brokers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $62,723 a year ($5,227 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $82,190.
Do real estate brokers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($80,908).
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 41-9021; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.6%.
- 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 0.60, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.60).
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