Librarian and Media Collections Specialist Salary in Chicago, IL
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $66,250 a year — 3% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $52,277 take-home, or $4,356 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median librarian and media collections specialist salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,770
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,108
- Medicare (1.45%)$961
- Illinois income tax$3,135
- Take-home pay$52,277
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 →
Librarian and Media Collections Specialist pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $46,870 | $22.53 | $37,665 | $3,139 |
| 25th percentile | $59,420 | $28.57 | $47,127 | $3,927 |
| Median (50th) | $66,250 | $31.85 | $52,277 | $4,356 |
| 75th percentile | $92,560 | $44.50 | $69,509 | $5,792 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $113,150 | $54.40 | $82,975 | $6,915 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $66,250 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 librarian and media collections specialist's $52,277 take-home pay has the buying power of $50,463 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Librarian and Media Collections Specialist jobs are about as common in Chicago, IL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.96).
Best-paying cities for librarians and media collections specialists, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #7 of 7 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, DC | $95,480 | $70,853 | $65,072 |
| 2 | Los Angeles, CA | $97,510 | $71,322 | $62,802 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $77,330 | $60,858 | $59,342 |
| 4 | Dallas, TX | $74,340 | $61,128 | $59,296 |
| 5 | Boston, MA | $79,450 | $60,971 | $56,316 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $81,670 | $62,472 | $55,499 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $66,250 | $52,277 | $50,463 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 7 metros →
About the job: librarians and media collections specialists
Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library’s media equipment.
- Typical education
- Master's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +2.6% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a librarian and media collections specialist make in Chicago, IL?
The median librarian and media collections specialist salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $66,250 a year, or about $31.85 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $59,420 and $92,560.
What is a librarian and media collections specialist’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $66,250 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $52,277 a year ($4,356 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,135 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a librarian and media collections specialist?
Pay here is 3% below the national median of $68,270. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $50,463 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #7 of 7 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a librarian and media collections specialist 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) — 35% of a median librarian and media collections specialist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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