S T SalaryCompareTool

Electricians salary in Chicago, IL

Median pay for electricians in Chicago, IL: $98,790/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $49,900 – $119,670 · about 15,860 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($60,730) by +$38,060 (+63%).

What it's really worth in Chicago

With Chicago's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $98,790 has the buying power of about $96,394 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $85,087 · median home $353,998 · median rent $2,266/mo.

Full Chicago cost of living & taxes →

How Chicago ranks for this job

On raw pay, Chicago, IL is 4th of the 187 metros we hold electricians wages for. Once Chicago's cost of living is applied, it ranks 2nd.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Chicago sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Chicago

A median home in Chicago, IL costs $353,998 — about 3.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,266/mo works out at 28% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where electricians earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Chicago.

MetroMedian payvs ChicagoRent vs Chicago
Kennewick, WA $103,240 +5% 0.8×
Honolulu, HI $102,280 +4% 1.3×
San Jose, CA $98,970 +0% 1.6×
San Francisco, CA $98,560 +0% 1.4×

Same job elsewhere in IL

MetroMedian payvs ChicagoRent vs Chicago
Peoria, IL $83,560 −15% 0.5×
Rockford, IL $77,140 −22% 0.6×

Staying in IL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires electricians around Chicago

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

Other jobs in Chicago

Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.