Chicago project manager salary: rankings and context
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$7,600; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$105,300.
Project Manager pay in Chicago: national and in-state ranking
San Jose leads at US$135,120, 28% above Chicago, while San Antonio sits at US$92,130. The neighbours in the ranking are Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
No other IL metro has observed project manager percentiles here, so Chicago is judged against the 21-metro national list instead.
Take-home, rent and buying power for Chicago project managers
With a COL index of 100, there is little difference between headline pay and price-adjusted pay (US$105,300).
Adjusting for prices does not move Chicago in the ranking: it is 11th of 21 on both cash and buying power.
After a simplified 14% effective national income tax, the median nets about US$7,600 a month. A modeled 1-bedroom (US$1,650) takes 22% of that, leaving around US$4,080 after modeled living costs.
Metros with a cost level like Chicago
New York (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$126,660, 20% more than Chicago; modeled monthly leftover is US$1,380 higher.
A project manager moving from Chicago to Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) would see the median rise 3% to US$108,310, with US$200 more left over monthly in our model.
Houston (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$99,510, 6% less than Chicago; modeled monthly leftover is US$380 lower.
Where Project Manager ranks among Chicago jobs
Project Manager ranks 4th of 9 occupations with observed Chicago data. Lawyer leads the city at US$165,660.
Closest neighbours in the Chicago list: Data Scientist at US$107,640 (+2%) and Mechanical Engineer at US$102,070 (-3%).
How Chicago ranks at the low and high end
Starting pay holds up better than senior pay here. The 10th percentile places 10th nationally among observed metros; the 90th places 15th.
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$212,340 at the 90th percentile, +28% against Chicago.
Spread between low and high project manager pay in Chicago
Pay is spread out: US$67,350 at the 10th percentile to US$165,780 at the 90th (2.5×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.