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Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · SOC 25-2021

Elementary School Teacher Salary in the Chicago Metro Area

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area

Figures describe the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan statistical area as defined by BLS/OMB — the whole multi-county metro region, not Chicago city limits.

Median annual wage$78,390

BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation (workers typically work fewer than 2,080 hours per year).

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earned a median of $78,390 per year as of the May 2025 BLS OEWS estimates. Pay ranged from $48,960 at the 10th percentile to $105,250 at the 90th. BLS estimates 45,840 people work in this occupation in the area.

Pay distribution

Half of Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education in the Chicago metro area earn more than $78,390 per year, half earn less; the middle half earn between $60,630 and $102,430.

Wage percentiles (BLS OEWS)
Wage10th25thMedian75th90th
Annual$48,960$60,630$78,390$102,430$105,250

A percentile is a cut point: 25% of workers in this occupation and area earn less than the 25th-percentile wage. The median is the 50th percentile — half earn less, half earn more.

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How this area compares

  • Chicago metro areathis metro area
    $78,390
  • Illinoisstate (IL)
    $75,320
  • United Statesnational
    $63,970

Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.

The median here is +4% vs Illinois overall and +23% vs the U.S. median for this occupation.

Compare with other areas

Where this metro sits nationally

$46,460$65,857$85,253$104,650Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ — $46,460Enid, OK — $46,840Cape Girardeau, MO-IL — $47,100Tucson, AZ — $47,220Lawton, OK — $47,330Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ — $47,400Hammond, LA — $47,470Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL — $47,600Hattiesburg, MS — $47,650Lafayette, LA — $47,770Columbia, MO — $47,920Alexandria, LA — $47,950Jefferson City, MO — $47,960Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ — $47,980Tulsa, OK — $48,220Wilmington, NC — $48,240Great Falls, MT — $48,320Yuma, AZ — $48,360Jacksonville, NC — $48,370Sebring, FL — $48,660Rocky Mount, NC — $48,670Joplin, MO-KS — $48,770Oklahoma City, OK — $48,780Evansville, IN — $49,120St. Joseph, MO-KS — $49,140Goldsboro, NC — $49,240Springfield, MO — $49,380Manhattan, KS — $49,520Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC — $49,540Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $50,040Asheville, NC — $50,080Jackson, MS — $50,240Texarkana, TX-AR — $50,270Monroe, LA — $50,300Lawrence, KS — $50,310Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL — $50,360Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL — $50,420Lynchburg, VA — $50,470Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC — $50,540Gulfport-Biloxi, MS — $50,820San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $51,300Morgantown, WV — $51,380Durham-Chapel Hill, NC — $51,400Jackson, TN — $51,470Lake Charles, LA — $51,520San Angelo, TX — $51,590Beckley, WV — $51,910Mayaguez, PR — $52,120Grand Junction, CO — $52,230Fort Smith, AR-OK — $52,620Abilene, TX — $53,480Guayama, PR — $53,550Port St. Lucie, FL — $53,610Flagstaff, AZ — $53,900Fayetteville, NC — $54,350Tallahassee, FL — $55,020Parkersburg-Vienna, WV — $55,140Greenville, NC — $55,490Jonesboro, AR — $56,270Gainesville, FL — $56,430Winston-Salem, NC — $56,510Burlington, NC — $56,740Charleston, WV — $57,020Terre Haute, IN — $57,320Victoria, TX — $57,430Peoria, IL — $57,440Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH — $57,450Ocala, FL — $57,540Sumter, SC — $57,650Hot Springs, AR — $57,730Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL — $57,770Dubuque, IA — $57,840College Station-Bryan, TX — $57,870Gadsden, AL — $57,890Helena, MT — $57,980Kankakee, IL — $57,980Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA — $58,130South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI — $58,180Missoula, MT — $58,240Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $58,300Bloomington, IN — $58,410Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR — $58,580Muncie, IN — $58,610Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL — $58,640Wichita, KS — $58,640Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $58,680Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA — $58,780Wheeling, WV-OH — $58,830Wichita Falls, TX — $58,900Topeka, KS — $58,950Decatur, IL — $59,050Waco, TX — $59,100Lewiston-Auburn, ME — $59,110Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $59,180Lubbock, TX — $59,220Baton Rouge, LA — $59,310Cleveland, TN — $59,330Wildwood-The Villages, FL — $59,360Michigan City-La Porte, IN — $59,480Rapid City, SD — $59,480Wausau, WI — $59,500Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN — $59,590Montgomery, AL — $59,610Aguadilla, PR — $59,650Champaign-Urbana, IL — $59,650Ponce, PR — $59,660Greensboro-High Point, NC — $59,730Clarksville, TN-KY — $59,760Fort Wayne, IN — $59,800Chattanooga, TN-GA — $59,830Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA — $59,850Fond du Lac, WI — $59,920Elkhart-Goshen, IN — $59,930Auburn-Opelika, AL — $59,970Sherman-Denison, TX — $60,030Columbia, SC — $60,050Bangor, ME — $60,080Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $60,120Tyler, TX — $60,120Oshkosh-Neenah, WI — $60,150Greeley, CO — $60,160Raleigh-Cary, NC — $60,170Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $60,190Corpus Christi, TX — $60,210Fargo, ND-MN — $60,210Longview, TX — $60,210Janesville-Beloit, WI — $60,220Tuscaloosa, AL — $60,220Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX — $60,260Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL — $60,330Eau Claire, WI — $60,340New Orleans-Metairie, LA — $60,350Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $60,470Naples-Marco Island, FL — $60,470Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $60,510Kenosha, WI — $60,530Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL — $60,580Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA — $60,600Green Bay, WI — $60,600St. Louis, MO-IL — $60,650Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH — $60,670Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC — $60,680Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA — $60,680La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN — $60,690Bozeman, MT — $60,740Niles, MI — $60,760Charlottesville, VA — $60,770Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA — $60,780Appleton, WI — $60,840Pocatello, ID — $60,840Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI — $60,840Iowa City, IA — $60,870Twin Falls, ID — $60,890Florence, SC — $60,910Dothan, AL — $60,950Mobile, AL — $60,970Spartanburg, SC — $60,990Bismarck, ND — $61,010Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR — $61,010Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $61,020Kansas City, MO-KS — $61,060Idaho Falls, ID — $61,080Jacksonville, FL — $61,080Decatur, AL — $61,090Sheboygan, WI — $61,110Colorado Springs, CO — $61,140Cheyenne, WY — $61,150Amarillo, TX — $61,170Kokomo, IN — $61,180Anniston-Oxford, AL — $61,200Winchester, VA-WV — $61,200Elmira, NY — $61,220Arecibo, PR — $61,230Boise City, ID — $61,230Bowling Green, KY — $61,260Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $61,270Richmond, VA — $61,290Laredo, TX — $61,310Johnson City, TN — $61,330Midland, TX — $61,350Minot, ND — $61,350Columbus, GA-AL — $61,360Cedar Rapids, IA — $61,430Grand Forks, ND-MN — $61,430Lexington-Fayette, KY — $61,460Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN — $61,460Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $61,480Macon-Bibb County, GA — $61,510Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $61,510Midland, MI — $61,540Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN — $61,610Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL — $61,650Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA — $61,650Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL — $61,680San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $61,720Elizabethtown, KY — $61,840Shreveport-Bossier City, LA — $61,850Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI — $61,900Altoona, PA — $61,920Lincoln, NE — $61,940Knoxville, TN — $61,980Pueblo, CO — $62,000Roanoke, VA — $62,010Paducah, KY-IL — $62,030Watertown-Fort Drum, NY — $62,150Huntsville, AL — $62,250Sioux City, IA-NE-SD — $62,270Springfield, IL — $62,340North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL — $62,370Billings, MT — $62,390Ames, IA — $62,430Reno, NV — $62,430Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL — $62,510Birmingham, AL — $62,630Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI — $62,660Omaha, NE-IA — $62,670Rochester, NY — $62,840Fort Collins-Loveland, CO — $62,930Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $62,930Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC — $63,000Owensboro, KY — $63,010Odessa, TX — $63,020Monroe, MI — $63,030Mankato, MN — $63,070McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX — $63,110Killeen-Temple, TX — $63,120Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV — $63,190Toledo, OH — $63,250Dalton, GA — $63,340Brownsville-Harlingen, TX — $63,350Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC — $63,380Kalamazoo-Portage, MI — $63,450Valdosta, GA — $63,480Coeur d'Alene, ID — $63,550Ithaca, NY — $63,610Madison, WI — $63,690Savannah, GA — $63,710Jackson, MI — $63,770El Paso, TX — $63,800Ogden, UT — $63,910Mansfield, OH — $63,980Ann Arbor, MI — $64,060Rockford, IL — $64,200Eugene-Springfield, OR — $64,260Rome, GA — $64,360Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $64,500Grand Island, NE — $64,530Lewiston, ID-WA — $64,600Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $64,740Gainesville, GA — $64,780Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC — $64,990Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $65,040Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX — $65,070Battle Creek, MI — $65,090Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $65,210Bloomington, IL — $65,590Flint, MI — $65,620Medford, OR — $65,830Duluth, MN-WI — $65,840Traverse City, MI — $66,020Hinesville, GA — $67,090Erie, PA — $69,920Johnstown, PA — $71,300Kahului-Wailuku, HI — $71,830St. George, UT — $72,100Salisbury, MD — $72,250Youngstown-Warren, OH — $72,560Lansing-East Lansing, MI — $72,930Albany, OR — $72,960Urban Honolulu, HI — $73,080St. Cloud, MN — $73,160Manchester-Nashua, NH — $73,380Santa Fe, NM — $73,750Saginaw, MI — $73,810Warner Robins, GA — $74,000Bay City, MI — $74,010Las Cruces, NM — $74,100Grants Pass, OR — $74,260Williamsport, PA — $74,610Logan, UT-ID — $74,790Salem, OR — $74,810Dover, DE — $75,080Gettysburg, PA — $75,450Albuquerque, NM — $75,520Brunswick-St. Simons, GA — $75,530Rochester, MN — $75,770Lima, OH — $75,830Lexington Park, MD — $76,170Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD — $76,400Cleveland, OH — $76,470Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY — $76,490Lebanon, PA — $76,490Binghamton, NY — $76,540Pittsburgh, PA — $76,550Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $76,570Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA — $76,590Athens-Clarke County, GA — $76,600Corvallis, OR — $76,710Chambersburg, PA — $76,750State College, PA — $76,760Portland-South Portland, ME — $76,770Farmington, NM — $76,840Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $76,910Utica-Rome, NY — $77,010Burlington-South Burlington, VT — $77,030Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA — $77,160Springfield, OH — $77,320Harrisonburg, VA — $77,340Bend, OR — $77,810Trenton-Princeton, NJ — $77,850Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $77,920Canton-Massillon, OH — $77,940Columbus, OH — $78,150Vineland, NJ — $78,260Lancaster, PA — $78,360Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN — $78,390Glens Falls, NY — $78,470Akron, OH — $78,560Syracuse, NY — $78,560Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $78,570Fresno, CA — $78,800Pittsfield, MA — $78,910Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ — $79,040Fairbanks-College, AK — $79,160Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY — $79,240Anchorage, AK — $79,270Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $79,470Springfield, MA — $79,640Waterbury-Shelton, CT — $79,640Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI — $79,730York-Hanover, PA — $79,730Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT — $79,800New Haven, CT — $79,820Reading, PA — $79,860Amherst Town-Northampton, MA — $79,900Bakersfield-Delano, CA — $79,900Longview-Kelso, WA — $79,910Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH — $80,360Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ — $80,480Boulder, CO — $80,640Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $81,770Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $82,330Worcester, MA — $82,810Redding, CA — $83,780Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT — $83,840Providence-Warwick, RI-MA — $86,720Chico, CA — $95,000New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $96,900San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $97,000Yuba City, CA — $97,000Stockton-Lodi, CA — $97,400San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA — $97,620Kingston, NY — $97,920Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $98,060Yakima, WA — $98,330Visalia, CA — $98,430Hanford-Corcoran, CA — $98,470Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $98,520Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT — $98,600Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA — $98,800Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA — $99,060Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA — $99,260Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA — $99,420Merced, CA — $100,120Salinas, CA — $100,220Barnstable Town, MA — $100,320Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA — $100,340Kennewick-Richland, WA — $100,380El Centro, CA — $100,390Napa, CA — $100,410Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA — $100,730Vallejo, CA — $100,790Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $101,030Bellingham, WA — $101,230Modesto, CA — $101,640Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $101,860San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $101,860Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA — $102,650San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $102,860Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $102,920Walla Walla, WA — $102,980Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $103,390Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA — $104,650

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

The Chicago metro area has the 68th-highest published median for this occupation among the 383 metro areas where BLS publishes it. Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Other metro areas in Illinois

Metro areas in the same state with published May 2025 medians for elementary school teachers, except special education, highest first. Areas without published estimates are not listed.

  • Chicago metro areathis page
    $78,390
  • Bloomington metro area
    $65,590
  • Rockford metro area
    $64,200
  • Springfield metro area
    $62,340
  • Champaign metro area
    $59,650
  • Decatur metro area
    $59,050
  • Kankakee metro area
    $57,980

Bars span the 25th–75th percentile (the middle half of workers); the tick marks the median.

Keep exploring

Other occupations in the same SOC group with published medians here, largest employment first:

Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary$37,840Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$98,970Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education$78,000Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$43,050Self-Enrichment Teachers$45,020Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School$79,690

Highest-paying metro areas for elementary school teachers · Highest-paying occupations in Chicago Metro

About this estimate

These figures are survey estimates from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program — modeled from employer reports collected over three years and benchmarked to May 2025. They describe what employers in this area currently pay across all industries, not what any individual worker will be offered.

Employment counts wage-and-salary jobs in the occupation (self-employed workers are excluded). Estimates carry sampling error; percentile wages are rounded by BLS. Some values are suppressed by BLS for confidentiality or quality — suppressed values appear here as “not published”, never as zero. Read the full methodology.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.