Software Developers salary in Chicago, IL

Median pay for software developers in Chicago, IL: $129,180/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $78,570 – $170,130 · about 41,210 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($111,055) by +$18,125 (+16%).

What it's really worth in Chicago

With Chicago's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $129,180 has the buying power of about $126,046 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 36th of the 186 metros we hold software developers wages for. Once Chicago's cost of living is applied, it ranks 50th.

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 2.7× 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 21% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where software developers 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	$199,100	+54%	1.6×
San Francisco, CA	$172,340	+33%	1.4×
Seattle, WA	$167,030	+29%	1×
Santa Maria, CA	$154,200	+19%	1.5×

Same job elsewhere in IL

Metro	Median pay	vs Chicago	Rent vs Chicago
Peoria, IL	$117,900	−9%	0.5×
Rockford, IL	$105,200	−19%	0.6×

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

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