Highway Maintenance Worker Salary in Chicago, IL
Highway Maintenance Workers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $76,220 a year — 52% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $58,823 take-home, or $4,902 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median highway maintenance worker salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$7,938
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,726
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,105
- Illinois income tax$3,628
- Take-home pay$58,823
Marginal rate: 22% 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.
Highway Maintenance Worker pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $42,110 | $20.25 | $34,076 | $2,840 |
| 25th percentile | $53,130 | $25.54 | $42,385 | $3,532 |
| Median (50th) | $76,220 | $36.64 | $58,823 | $4,902 |
| 75th percentile | $91,140 | $43.82 | $68,580 | $5,715 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $102,530 | $49.29 | $76,029 | $6,336 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $76,220 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 highway maintenance worker's $58,823 take-home pay has the buying power of $56,781 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Highway Maintenance Worker jobs are about as common in Chicago, IL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.91).
Best-paying cities for highway maintenance workers, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #1 of 49 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago, IL | $76,220 | $58,823 | $56,781 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $75,030 | $61,614 | $55,441 |
| 3 | Des Moines, IA | $60,900 | $49,451 | $53,926 |
| 4 | Madison, WI | $63,530 | $51,212 | $52,640 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $66,310 | $53,388 | $51,961 |
| 6 | Milwaukee, WI | $60,660 | $49,032 | $50,582 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $63,650 | $50,518 | $48,194 |
| 8 | Rochester, NY | $58,470 | $46,600 | $48,024 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 49 metros →
Frequently asked questions
How much does a highway maintenance worker make in Chicago, IL?
The median highway maintenance worker salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $76,220 a year, or about $36.64 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $53,130 and $91,140.
What is a highway maintenance worker’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $76,220 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $58,823 a year ($4,902 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,628 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a highway maintenance worker?
Pay here is 52% above the national median of $50,260. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $56,781 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #1 of 49 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a highway maintenance worker 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) — 31% of a median highway maintenance worker’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Chicago, IL
- Elevator and Escalator Installer and Repairer — $146,580
- First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers — $111,260
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical — $103,690
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters — $103,380
- Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator — $103,100
- Electrician — $102,350
- Structural Iron and Steel Worker — $102,350
- Sheet Metal Worker — $95,310
- Brickmason and Blockmason — $89,980
- Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining — $87,060
- Construction and Building Inspector — $82,640
- Roofer — $82,090