Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks Salary in Chicago, IL
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $36,130 a year — 3% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $29,567 take-home, or $2,464 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$2,156
- Social Security (6.2%)$2,240
- Medicare (1.45%)$524
- Illinois income tax$1,644
- Take-home pay$29,567
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 →
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $32,740 | $15.74 | $27,011 | $2,251 |
| 25th percentile | $34,850 | $16.75 | $28,602 | $2,383 |
| Median (50th) | $36,130 | $17.37 | $29,567 | $2,464 |
| 75th percentile | $41,890 | $20.14 | $33,910 | $2,826 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $46,030 | $22.13 | $37,031 | $3,086 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $36,130 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 hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks's $29,567 take-home pay has the buying power of $28,541 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk Clerks jobs are less concentrated in Chicago, IL than nationally (location quotient 0.56), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #16 of 20 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas, NV | $40,760 | $34,931 | $34,856 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $44,520 | $37,952 | $34,150 |
| 3 | San Francisco, CA | $44,670 | $36,716 | $31,757 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $43,490 | $35,373 | $31,425 |
| 5 | Nashville, TN | $34,710 | $30,069 | $31,212 |
| 6 | Orlando, FL | $36,250 | $31,307 | $30,869 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $36,860 | $31,084 | $30,087 |
| 8 | Boston, MA | $39,990 | $32,532 | $30,049 |
| 16 | Chicago, IL | $36,130 | $29,567 | $28,541 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 20 metros →
About the job: hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks
Accommodate hotel, motel, and resort patrons by registering and assigning rooms to guests, issuing room keys or cards, transmitting and receiving messages, keeping records of occupied rooms and guests’ accounts, making and confirming reservations, and presenting statements to and collecting payments from departing guests.
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +1.8% (slower than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks make in Chicago, IL?
The median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $36,130 a year, or about $17.37 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $34,850 and $41,890.
What is a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $36,130 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $29,567 a year ($2,464 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,644 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks?
Pay here is 3% above the national median of $35,070. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $28,541 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #16 of 20 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a hotel, motel, and resort desk 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) — 62% of a median hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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