Social Workers, All Other pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $114,690 or more. The middle half of other social workers in Chicago earn between $51,700 and $101,320.
- $46K10th
- $52K25th
- $72KMedian
- $101K75th
- $115K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $76,750 | $6,396 | $36.90 |
| Median | $71,740 | $5,978 | $34.49 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $51,700 | $4,308 | $24.86 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $101,320 | $8,443 | $48.71 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Social Workers, All Other salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $76,750, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $59,166 a year, or $4,930 a month and $2,276 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% 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 | $60,551 | $5,046 |
| Working in IL | $59,166 | $4,930 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for other social 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 $76,750 buys what about $74,087 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Social Workers, All Other salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 5 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$76,750
- Champaign$67,300
- Springfield$66,280
- Rockford$65,560
- Peoria$55,050
Highest-paying cities for other social workers
Reno, NV pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($142,460).
- Reno, NV$142,460
- Las Vegas, NV$114,210
- Honolulu, HI$113,310
- Worcester, MA$106,140
- Amherst, MA$105,840
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Social Workers, All Other salary in Chicago: questions
How much do other social workers make an hour in Chicago?
$36.90 an hour on average, and $34.49 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level other social workers salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,700, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the other social workers take-home pay in Chicago?
About $59,166 a year ($4,930 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $76,750.
Do other social workers earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,229).
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 21-1029; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.4%.
- 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 0.65, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.65).
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