Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary Salary in Chicago, IL

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $80,440 a year — 0% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $61,583 take-home, or $5,132 a month.

Median salary
$80,440
$38.67 per hour
Typical range
$47,790 – $103,220
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in Chicago, IL
3,840
1.70× national concentration
▼1.2%
Pay trend: The median for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary in Chicago, IL fell from $81,430 (May 2024) to $80,440 (May 2025). That trailed inflation (2.4%), so buying power slipped about 3.6%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary in Chicago, IL
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$61,583
per year · effective tax rate 23.4%
$5,132Monthly
$2,566Twice a month
$2,369Every 2 weeks
$29.61Hourly
  • Federal income tax$8,867
  • Social Security (6.2%)$4,987
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,166
  • Illinois income tax$3,837
  • Take-home pay$61,583

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.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary pay by experience in Chicago, IL

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$47,790$22.98$38,358$3,197
25th percentile$62,450$30.02$49,412$4,118
Median (50th)$80,440$38.67$61,583$5,132
75th percentile$95,630$45.98$71,517$5,960
90th percentile (top earners)$103,220$49.63$76,481$6,373

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $80,440 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 nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary's $61,583 take-home pay has the buying power of $59,445 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$1,534
30% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$1,743
34% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,598
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Chicago, IL has 1.7× the national concentration of nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.

Best-paying cities for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary, adjusted for cost of living

Chicago, IL ranks #2 of 3 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1New York, NY $92,050$69,196$61,474
2Chicago, IL $80,440$61,583$59,445
3Los Angeles, CA $79,680$60,668$53,421

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 3 metros →

About the job: nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary

Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students.

Typical education
Doctoral or professional degree
Work experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None
Job outlook, 2025–35
+17.1% (much faster than average)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary make in Chicago, IL?

The median nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $80,440 a year, or about $38.67 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $62,450 and $95,630.

What is a nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?

On the median $80,440 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $61,583 a year ($5,132 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,837 in Illinois taxes in 2026.

Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary?

Pay here is 0% above the national median of $80,250. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $59,445 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #2 of 3 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary 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) — 30% of a median nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

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