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

How much does a high school teacher make in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, high school teachers earned a median of $98,970 a year in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 32,790 of these jobs there. That is 81% above the $54,720 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $60,380 and $140,600; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Illinois tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $73,701 in take-home pay.

High school teacher pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL at a glance

Median salary

$98,970$8,248 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$60,380—
25th percentile$76,440—
75th percentile$126,420—
90th percentile$140,600—
Jobs in this metro32,790Location quotient 1.06 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here81% aboveAll-jobs median $54,720
Against Illinois24% aboveStatewide median $79,990
Against the U.S.37% aboveNational median $72,040

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.

High school teacher salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL after taxes

$98,970
$35,000$200,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$98,970
Net 74%
Fed 13%
IL 5%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$73,701After all taxes
Monthly deposit$6,142Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,835Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate25.5%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$12,943 / yr
Illinois state income tax$4,754 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$7,571 / yr

High school teachers 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 high school teachers earned in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (IL)
10th percentile—$5,032$60,380$47,851
25th percentile—$6,370$76,440$58,967
MedianMedian—$8,248$98,970$73,701
75th percentile—$10,535$126,420$91,561
90th percentile—$11,717$140,600$100,551

Is $98,970 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville, IL?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for high school teachers 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 household108.9%of area median income

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

High school teacher pay in Chicago-Naperville, IL: common questions

What is the median salary for high school teachers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The BLS median annual wage for high school teachers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area was $98,970 in May 2025, about $8,248 a month. Statewide, the Illinois median for this job is $79,990, so the metro pays 24% above the state.

Is there an hourly rate for high school teachers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS publishes pay for this job as an annual salary only, because the hours worked in a year vary too much to state a meaningful hourly rate.

How many high school teachers work in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS estimated 32,790 jobs for high school teachers in the metro in May 2025, or 7.3 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.06 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for high school teachers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

BLS wage estimates for high school teachers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN run from $60,380 at the 10th percentile to $76,440 at the 25th, $126,420 at the 75th, and $140,600 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do high school teachers take home after taxes in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On a median gross salary of $98,970, an estimated $73,701 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,835 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Illinois in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $25,269 (an effective rate of 25.5%).

How much do high school teachers make per month in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

On the median annual salary of $98,970, gross monthly income is $8,248. After federal, FICA, and Illinois state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $6,142 per month (or $2,835 every two weeks).

Is $98,970 a good salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

At $98,970, the median salary for high school teachers is 108.9% of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median household income ($90,887). It is 81% 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.