Surveyors pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,910 a year or less, while the top 10% make $126,620 or more. The middle half of surveyors in Chicago earn between $59,340 and $102,830.
- $46K10th
- $59K25th
- $80KMedian
- $103K75th
- $127K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $83,940 | $6,995 | $40.36 |
| Median | $80,060 | $6,672 | $38.49 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,340 | $4,945 | $28.53 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $102,830 | $8,569 | $49.44 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Surveyors salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $83,940, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $63,868 a year, or $5,322 a month and $2,456 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 | $65,394 | $5,449 |
| Working in IL | $63,868 | $5,322 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for surveyors? 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 $83,940 buys what about $81,027 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 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Surveyors salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 3 Illinois metro areas for this job; Springfield pays the most ($87,290).
- Springfield$87,290
- Chicago$83,940
- Peoria$77,750
Highest-paying cities for surveyors
Yuba City, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($127,690).
- Yuba City, CA$127,690
- San Francisco, CA$126,380
- Redding, CA$124,490
- Sacramento, CA$120,210
- Stockton, CA$118,870
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Surveyors salary in Chicago: questions
How much do surveyors make an hour in Chicago?
$40.36 an hour on average, and $38.49 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level surveyors salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $45,910 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,340, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the surveyors take-home pay in Chicago?
About $63,868 a year ($5,322 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $83,940.
Do surveyors earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($82,291).
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 17-1022; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.1%.
- 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 0.77, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.77).
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