Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers Salary in Chicago, IL
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median $69,820 a year — 9% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $54,637 take-home, or $4,553 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers salary in Chicago, IL. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$6,530
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,329
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,012
- Illinois income tax$3,311
- Take-home pay$54,637
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 →
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers pay by experience in Chicago, IL
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $45,000 | $21.63 | $36,255 | $3,021 |
| 25th percentile | $59,480 | $28.60 | $47,173 | $3,931 |
| Median (50th) | $69,820 | $33.57 | $54,637 | $4,553 |
| 75th percentile | $80,980 | $38.93 | $61,936 | $5,161 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $100,520 | $48.33 | $74,715 | $6,226 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Illinois resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $69,820 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 telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers's $54,637 take-home pay has the buying power of $52,741 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers jobs are about as common in Chicago, IL as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.85).
Best-paying cities for telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers, adjusted for cost of living
Chicago, IL ranks #2 of 9 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta, GA | $70,790 | $55,580 | $55,547 |
| 2 | Chicago, IL | $69,820 | $54,637 | $52,741 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $75,900 | $58,724 | $52,170 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | $59,850 | $50,269 | $50,968 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $69,800 | $54,844 | $50,369 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | $73,440 | $56,877 | $50,083 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $62,200 | $50,811 | $49,181 |
| 8 | Dallas, TX | $60,340 | $50,663 | $49,145 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 9 metros →
About the job: telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends. Service or repair telephone, cable television, Internet, and other communications equipment on customers’ property. May install communications equipment or communications wiring in buildings.
- Typical education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- -3.3% (declining)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers make in Chicago, IL?
The median telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers salary in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area is $69,820 a year, or about $33.57 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $59,480 and $80,980.
What is a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers’s take-home pay in Chicago, IL?
On the median $69,820 salary, a single filer living in Illinois takes home about $54,637 a year ($4,553 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,311 in Illinois taxes in 2026.
Is Chicago, IL a good place to work as a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers?
Pay here is 9% above the national median of $63,890. Local prices are 3.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $52,741 would in a typical U.S. city. Chicago, IL ranks #2 of 9 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers 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) — 34% of a median telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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