Recreation Workers pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $48,130 or more. The middle half of recreation workers in Chicago earn between $32,810 and $41,600.
- $31K10th
- $33K25th
- $36KMedian
- $42K75th
- $48K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $38,300 | $3,192 | $18.41 |
| Median | $35,830 | $2,986 | $17.23 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $32,810 | $2,734 | $15.77 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $41,600 | $3,467 | $20.00 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Recreation Workers salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $38,300, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $31,199 a year, or $2,600 a month and $1,200 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% 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 | $31,835 | $2,653 |
| Working in IL | $31,199 | $2,600 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for recreation 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 $38,300 buys what about $36,971 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 9.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Recreation Workers salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Kankakee pays the most ($39,070).
- Kankakee$39,070
- Chicago$38,300
- Champaign$36,210
- Rockford$35,600
- Bloomington$35,400
- Peoria$35,340
- Decatur$35,280
- Springfield$34,950
Highest-paying cities for recreation workers
Fairbanks, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($61,070).
- Fairbanks, AK$61,070
- San Jose, CA$54,750
- San Francisco, CA$48,810
- Seattle, WA$47,840
- Bozeman, MT$47,520
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Recreation Workers salary in Chicago: questions
How much do recreation workers make an hour in Chicago?
$18.42 an hour on average, and $17.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level recreation workers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $31,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $32,810, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the recreation workers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $31,199 a year ($2,600 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $38,300.
Do recreation workers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($38,839).
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 39-9032; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
- 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 1.42, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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