Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Salary in Chicago, IL
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $51,440 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $41,111 take-home, or $3,426 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$3,993
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,189
- Medicare (1.45%)$746
- Illinois income tax$2,401
- Take-home pay$41,111
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.95% state
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro spans Illinois, Indiana. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,140 | $17.38 | $29,574 | $2,465 |
| 25th percentile | $45,620 | $21.93 | $36,722 | $3,060 |
| Median (50th) | $51,440 | $24.73 | $41,111 | $3,426 |
| 75th percentile | $61,610 | $29.62 | $48,779 | $4,065 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $73,430 | $35.30 | $56,998 | $4,750 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $51,440 buys in Chicago, IL
Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.12× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks's $41,111 take-home pay has the buying power of $39,684 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks jobs are about as common in Chicago, IL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.89).
Best-paying cities for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #91 of 95 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Haven, CT | $62,890 | $50,807 | $48,592 |
| 2 | San Jose, CA | $66,130 | $52,378 | $47,434 |
| 3 | Hartford, CT | $59,470 | $48,213 | $46,924 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | $54,320 | $45,826 | $46,730 |
| 5 | Bridgeport, CT | $61,390 | $49,669 | $46,479 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $60,460 | $50,760 | $45,675 |
| 7 | Des Moines, IA | $50,610 | $41,574 | $45,336 |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | $50,940 | $41,653 | $45,010 |
| 91 | Chicago, IL | $51,440 | $41,111 | $39,684 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 95 metros →
About the job: bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.
- Typical education
- Some college, no degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -5.6% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks make in Chicago, IL?
The median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $51,440 a year, or about $24.73 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $45,620 and $61,610.
What is a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $51,440 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $41,111 a year ($3,426 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,401 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks?
Pay here is 2% above the national median of $50,670. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $39,684 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #91 of 95 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks afford rent in Chicago, IL?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Chicago, IL is $1,534 a month ($1,743 for two bedrooms) — 45% of a median bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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