Surgical Assistants pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,220 a year or less, while the top 10% make $80,210 or more. The middle half of surgical assistants in Chicago earn between $80,210 and $80,210.
- $64K10th
- $80K25th
- $80KMedian
- $80K75th
- $80K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $78,390 | $6,532 | $37.69 |
| Median | $80,210 | $6,684 | $38.56 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $80,210 | $6,684 | $38.56 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $80,210 | $6,684 | $38.56 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Surgical Assistants salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $78,390, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $60,238 a year, or $5,020 a month and $2,317 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 | $61,656 | $5,138 |
| Working in IL | $60,238 | $5,020 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for surgical 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 $78,390 buys what about $75,670 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.5 years of this average salary before tax.
Surgical Assistants salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 1st of 3 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Chicago$78,390
- Springfield$76,880
- Champaign$74,830
Highest-paying cities for surgical assistants
Phoenix, AZ pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($141,940).
- Phoenix, AZ$141,940
- Lexington, KY$115,640
- Florence, SC$115,420
- Boulder, CO$101,340
- Cincinnati, OH$98,860
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Surgical Assistants salary in Chicago: questions
How much do surgical assistants make an hour in Chicago?
$37.69 an hour on average, and $38.56 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level surgical assistants salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,220 a year and the 25th percentile is $80,210, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the surgical assistants take-home pay in Chicago?
About $60,238 a year ($5,020 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $78,390.
Do surgical assistants earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($75,779).
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 29-9093; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.8%.
- 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 3.23, this job is 3.2 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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