SOC 13-1151 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Training and Development Specialists Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for training and development specialists in Chicago, Illinois is $74,980 a year ($36.05 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $67,050: half of the 10,940 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($76,117).

$74,980average per year

$36.05 / hourMedian $67,050Take-home ≈ $58,008

  • $39K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $67KMedian
  • $96K75th
  • $124K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

10,940people in this job
-1%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 8Illinois metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Training and Development Specialists pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,430 a year or less, while the top 10% make $124,110 or more. The middle half of training and development specialists in Chicago earn between $48,590 and $96,170.

  • $39K10th
  • $49K25th
  • $67KMedian
  • $96K75th
  • $124K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$74,980$6,248$36.05
Median$67,050$5,588$32.24
Entry level (25th percentile)$48,590$4,049$23.36
Experienced (75th percentile)$96,170$8,014$46.24

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

Training and Development Specialists salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $74,980, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $58,008 a year, or $4,834 a month and $2,231 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:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$59,359$4,947
Working in IL$58,008$4,834

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

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Is Chicago a good place for training and development specialists? 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 $74,980 buys what about $72,378 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $74,980 is worth in another city

Training and Development Specialists salary in other Illinois cities

Chicago ranks 3rd of 8 Illinois metro areas for this job; Peoria pays the most ($80,010).

All Training and Development Specialists salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for training and development specialists

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($109,240).

Training and Development Specialists salary by city

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Training and Development Specialists salary in Chicago: questions

How much do training and development specialists make an hour in Chicago?

$36.05 an hour on average, and $32.23 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level training and development specialists salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,430 a year and the 25th percentile is $48,590, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the training and development specialists take-home pay in Chicago?

About $58,008 a year ($4,834 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $74,980.

Do training and development specialists earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($76,117).

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 13-1151; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
  • 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 0.82, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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