Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an auto mechanic make in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, auto mechanics earned a median of $55,320 a year ($26.60 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 20,140 of these jobs there. That is 1% above the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,520 and $92,460; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $44,036 in take-home pay.

Auto mechanic pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL at a glance

Median salary

$55,320$26.60 per hour · $4,610 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,520$16.59/hr
25th percentile$39,240$18.87/hr
75th percentile$78,370$37.68/hr
90th percentile$92,460$44.45/hr
Jobs in this metro20,140Location quotient 0.98 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here1% aboveAll-jobs median $54,720
Against Illinois13% aboveStatewide median $49,170
Against the U.S.9% aboveNational median $50,620

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Auto mechanic salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL after taxes

$55,320
$20,000$115,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$55,320
Net 80%
Fed 8%
IL 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$44,036After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,670Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,694Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate20.4%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$4,458 / yr
Illinois state income tax$2,594 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$4,232 / yr

Auto mechanics pay range in Chicago-Naperville, IL, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What auto mechanics earned in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile$16.59/hr$2,877$34,520$28,353
25th percentile$18.87/hr$3,270$39,240$31,912
MedianMedian$26.60/hr$4,610$55,320$44,036
75th percentile$37.68/hr$6,531$78,370$60,229
90th percentile$44.45/hr$7,705$92,460$69,444

Is $55,320 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for auto mechanics next to both.

Median household income$90,887Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)103.63.6% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household60.9%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Auto mechanic pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for auto mechanics in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for auto mechanics in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area was $55,320 in May 2025, about $4,610 a month or $26.60 an hour. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $49,170, so the metro pays 13% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for auto mechanics in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The median hourly wage for auto mechanics in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $26.60 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.59 an hour and one in ten earned more than $44.45.

How many auto mechanics work in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS estimated 20,140 jobs for auto mechanics in the metro in May 2025, or 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.98 means the job is about as common here as in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for auto mechanics in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS wage estimates for auto mechanics in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN run from $34,520 at the 10th percentile to $39,240 at the 25th, $78,370 at the 75th, and $92,460 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do auto mechanics take home after taxes in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On a median gross salary of $55,320, an estimated $44,036 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,694 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $11,284 (an effective rate of 20.4%).

How much do auto mechanics make per month in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On the median annual salary of $55,320, gross monthly income is $4,610. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,670 per month (or $1,694 every two weeks).

Is $55,320 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

At $55,320, the median salary for auto mechanics is 60.9% of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median household income ($90,887). It is 1% above the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 103.6, so prices here run 3.6% above the U.S. average.