Paycheck Atlas

Social Science Research Assistants salary in Chicago, IL

The median social science research assistants in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN earns $64,890 a year, 5% above the US median. After tax that is roughly $4,259 a month.

10th percentile
$37,400
25th percentile
$47,720
Median percentile
$64,890
75th percentile
$79,840
90th percentile
$116,530

Based on 170 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

$51,107 take-home a year
Gross pay$64,890
Federal income tax−$5,607
Social Security + Medicare−$4,964
Illinois income tax (approx.)−$3,212
Monthly take-home$4,259
Every two weeks$1,966

Does it go far here?

$62,638Median pay in Chicago, IL is worth this at average US prices (local price level 103.6 vs 100).
34%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 social science research assistants salaries · Take-home pay in Illinois