SOC 21-1093 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Social and Human Service Assistants Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for social and human service assistants in Chicago, Illinois is $50,290 a year ($24.18 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $47,180: half of the 16,080 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 5% more than the U.S. average for this job ($47,690).

$50,290average per year

$24.18 / hourMedian $47,180Take-home ≈ $40,240

  • $36K10th
  • $40K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

16,080people in this job
+5%vs U.S. average
#4 of 8Illinois metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Social and Human Service Assistants pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $69,590 or more. The middle half of social and human service assistants in Chicago earn between $40,330 and $56,520.

  • $36K10th
  • $40K25th
  • $47KMedian
  • $57K75th
  • $70K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$50,290$4,191$24.18
Median$47,180$3,932$22.68
Entry level (25th percentile)$40,330$3,361$19.39
Experienced (75th percentile)$56,520$4,710$27.17

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Social and Human Service Assistants pay in Chicago vs. Illinois and the U.S.

Social and human service assistants in Chicago earn about the same as the Illinois average ($50,460) and 5% more than the U.S. average ($47,690). At the median the gap is +3% against the U.S. median of $45,930.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Chicago$50,290$47,180$36,020$69,59016,080
Illinois$50,460$46,950$35,030$72,78022,220
United States$47,690$45,930$34,200$63,290437,860

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Social and Human Service Assistants salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $50,290, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $40,240 a year, or $3,353 a month and $1,548 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:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$41,109$3,426
Working in IL$40,240$3,353

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Illinois paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Chicago a good place for social and human service 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 $50,290 buys what about $48,545 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 7.0 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $50,290 is worth in another city

Social and Human Service Assistants salary in other Illinois cities

Chicago ranks 4th of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Springfield pays the most ($56,280).

All Social and Human Service Assistants salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for social and human service assistants

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($63,980).

Social and Human Service Assistants salary by city

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Social and Human Service Assistants salary in Chicago: questions

How much do social and human service assistants make an hour in Chicago?

$24.18 an hour on average, and $22.69 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level social and human service assistants salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $36,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $40,330, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the social and human service assistants take-home pay in Chicago?

About $40,240 a year ($3,353 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $50,290.

Do social and human service assistants earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is 5% more than the U.S. average for this job ($47,690).

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 21-1093; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • 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 1.26, this job is 1.3 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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