Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary in Chicago, IL
Child, Family, and School Social Workers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $64,790 a year — 9% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $51,176 take-home, or $4,265 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median child, family, and school social workers salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,595
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,017
- Medicare (1.45%)$939
- Illinois income tax$3,062
- Take-home pay$51,176
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 →
Child, Family, and School Social Workers pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $48,460 | $23.30 | $38,864 | $3,239 |
| 25th percentile | $53,950 | $25.94 | $43,003 | $3,584 |
| Median (50th) | $64,790 | $31.15 | $51,176 | $4,265 |
| 75th percentile | $82,640 | $39.73 | $63,021 | $5,252 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $110,390 | $53.07 | $81,170 | $6,764 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $64,790 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 child, family, and school social workers's $51,176 take-home pay has the buying power of $49,400 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers jobs are about as common in Chicago, IL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.19).
Best-paying cities for child, family, and school social workers, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #13 of 31 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore, MD | $74,960 | $58,367 | $55,861 |
| 2 | Providence, RI | $70,900 | $56,666 | $55,679 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $75,280 | $61,789 | $55,600 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $77,420 | $59,644 | $55,090 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $75,550 | $58,515 | $53,741 |
| 6 | Minneapolis, MN | $70,530 | $55,175 | $52,637 |
| 7 | Las Vegas, NV | $61,480 | $51,579 | $51,469 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $67,560 | $54,094 | $51,137 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $64,790 | $51,176 | $49,400 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 31 metros →
About the job: child, family, and school social workers
Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +4.4% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a child, family, and school social workers make in Chicago, IL?
The median child, family, and school social workers salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $64,790 a year, or about $31.15 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $53,950 and $82,640.
What is a child, family, and school social workers’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $64,790 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $51,176 a year ($4,265 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,062 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a child, family, and school social workers?
Pay here is 9% above the national median of $59,550. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $49,400 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #13 of 31 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a child, family, and school social workers 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) — 36% of a median child, family, and school social workers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Chicago, IL
- Healthcare Social Worker — $71,430
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors — $64,730
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors — $61,600
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Worker — $57,720
- Rehabilitation Counselor — $49,350
- Social and Human Service Assistant — $47,180