Paycheck Atlas

Special Effects Artists and Animators salary in Chicago, IL

The median special effects artists and animators in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN earns $83,200 a year, 18% below the US median. After tax that is roughly $5,270 a month.

10th percentile
$62,920
25th percentile
$65,500
Median percentile
$83,200
75th percentile
$109,990
90th percentile
$136,740

Based on 550 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

$63,243 take-home a year
Gross pay$83,200
Federal income tax−$9,474
Social Security + Medicare−$6,365
Illinois income tax (approx.)−$4,118
Monthly take-home$5,270
Every two weeks$2,432

Does it go far here?

$80,313Median pay in Chicago, IL is worth this at average US prices (local price level 103.6 vs 100).
27%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 special effects artists and animators salaries · Take-home pay in Illinois