Paycheck Atlas

Paralegals and Legal Assistants salary in Chicago, IL

The median paralegals and legal assistants in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN earns $70,550 a year, 12% above the US median. After tax that is roughly $4,581 a month.

10th percentile
$50,160
25th percentile
$58,740
Median percentile
$70,550
75th percentile
$85,040
90th percentile
$106,040

Based on 11,590 employed. Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025. Percentiles show the spread of pay, not experience; reading the 25th percentile as "entry level" is only an approximation.

What you keep

$54,970 take-home a year
Gross pay$70,550
Federal income tax−$6,691
Social Security + Medicare−$5,397
Illinois income tax (approx.)−$3,492
Monthly take-home$4,581
Every two weeks$2,114

Does it go far here?

$68,102Median pay in Chicago, IL is worth this at average US prices (local price level 103.6 vs 100).
31%of take-home pay goes to the median rent ($1,430 a month, Census ACS).

Top-paying jobs in Chicago, IL

JobMedian pay
Chief Executives$344,960
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers$293,490
Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric$284,630
Nurse Anesthetists$265,880
Psychiatrists$258,750
Emergency Medicine Physicians$239,200
General Internal Medicine Physicians$226,060
Family Medicine Physicians$225,080

All paralegals and legal assistants salaries · Take-home pay in Illinois