Veterinarians pay range in Chicago
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,770 a year or less, while the top 10% make $289,310 or more. The middle half of veterinarians in Chicago earn between $114,540 and $196,430.
- $81K10th
- $115K25th
- $149KMedian
- $196K75th
- $289K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $162,730 | $13,561 | $78.24 |
| Median | $148,730 | $12,394 | $71.50 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $114,540 | $9,545 | $55.07 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $196,430 | $16,369 | $94.44 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Veterinarians salary after taxes in Chicago
On the average salary of $162,730, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $114,578 a year, or $9,548 a month and $4,407 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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 | $117,640 | $9,803 |
| Working in IL | $114,578 | $9,548 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
Is Chicago a good place for veterinarians? 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 $162,730 buys what about $157,083 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 2.2 years of this average salary before tax.
Veterinarians salary in other Illinois cities
Chicago ranks 2nd of 5 Illinois metro areas for this job; Rockford pays the most ($177,570).
- Rockford$177,570
- Chicago$162,730
- Peoria$156,010
- Springfield$143,500
- Champaign$116,510
Highest-paying cities for veterinarians
Anchorage, AK pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($215,060).
- Anchorage, AK$215,060
- San Francisco, CA$195,160
- Tucson, AZ$193,390
- San Jose, CA$192,030
- Phoenix, AZ$186,840
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Veterinarians salary in Chicago: questions
How much do veterinarians make an hour in Chicago?
$78.24 an hour on average, and $71.51 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level veterinarians salary in Chicago?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $80,770 a year and the 25th percentile is $114,540, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the veterinarians take-home pay in Chicago?
About $114,578 a year ($9,548 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $162,730.
Do veterinarians earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?
The average here is 11% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($146,208).
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 29-1131; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.1%.
- 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 0.63, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.63).
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