General & Operations Managers salary in Chicago, IL
Median pay for general & operations managers in Chicago, IL: $106,940/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $48,890 – $239,200 · about 129,700 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($97,370) by +$9,570 (+10%).
What it's really worth in Chicago
With Chicago's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $106,940 has the buying power of about $104,346 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $85,087 · median home $353,998 · median rent $2,266/mo.
How Chicago ranks for this job
On raw pay, Chicago, IL is 38th of the 186 metros we hold general & operations managers wages for. Once Chicago's cost of living is applied, it ranks 61st.
The headline number flatters Chicago. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, general & operations managers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Chicago
A median home in Chicago, IL costs $353,998 — about 3.3× 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 25% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where general & operations managers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Chicago.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Chicago | Rent vs Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $166,660 | +56% | 1.6× |
| Trenton, NJ | $154,790 | +45% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $143,250 | +34% | 1.4× |
| Washington, DC | $142,730 | +33% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in IL
| Metro | Median pay | vs Chicago | Rent vs Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | $94,700 | −11% | 0.6× |
| Peoria, IL | $93,210 | −13% | 0.5× |
Staying in IL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires general & operations managers around Chicago
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- McDonald's · Retail
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 186 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.