Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners Salary in Chicago, IL
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $62,640 a year — 2% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $49,555 take-home, or $4,130 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median meeting, convention, and event planners salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,337
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,884
- Medicare (1.45%)$908
- Illinois income tax$2,956
- Take-home pay$49,555
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 →
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $35,820 | $17.22 | $29,333 | $2,444 |
| 25th percentile | $45,870 | $22.05 | $36,911 | $3,076 |
| Median (50th) | $62,640 | $30.12 | $49,555 | $4,130 |
| 75th percentile | $80,700 | $38.80 | $61,753 | $5,146 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $111,390 | $53.55 | $81,824 | $6,819 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $62,640 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 meeting, convention, and event planners's $49,555 take-home pay has the buying power of $47,836 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners jobs are about as common in Chicago, IL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.02).
Best-paying cities for meeting, convention, and event planners, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #8 of 13 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $78,010 | $60,030 | $55,446 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $82,120 | $62,126 | $53,736 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $78,610 | $60,484 | $53,734 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $75,450 | $58,451 | $53,682 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $69,890 | $57,998 | $52,188 |
| 6 | Dallas, TX | $62,720 | $52,576 | $51,000 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $61,380 | $50,173 | $48,563 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $62,640 | $49,555 | $47,836 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 13 metros →
About the job: meeting, convention, and event planners
Coordinate activities of staff, convention personnel, or clients to make arrangements for group meetings, events, or conventions.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- None
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +5.8% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a meeting, convention, and event planners make in Chicago, IL?
The median meeting, convention, and event planners salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $62,640 a year, or about $30.12 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $45,870 and $80,700.
What is a meeting, convention, and event planners’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $62,640 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $49,555 a year ($4,130 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,956 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a meeting, convention, and event planners?
Pay here is 2% above the national median of $61,160. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $47,836 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #8 of 13 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a meeting, convention, and event planners 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) — 37% of a median meeting, convention, and event planners’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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