ExactTakeHome

2026 CITY × PROFESSION SALARY RESEARCH

Software Engineer Salary in Chicago, IL

Reviewed by Kevin Marshall, CPA

ExactTakeHome uses Gusto's published Chicago benchmark for this page, then cross-checks it against the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS median for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area before publishing. The take-home example below applies Illinois taxes to the verified salary figure. It does not model any city income tax or employer-specific benefits.

Verified salary benchmark

Gusto lists a median Software Engineer salary of $122,400 in Chicago, with an average salary of $123,249 on the published benchmark page.

ExactTakeHome cross-checked that against the BLS OEWS median salary of $134,380 for software engineer workers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area. The gap between the two sources is -8.9%, which is inside this pass's publish threshold.

The BLS reference is metro-level rather than municipal payroll data, so this page should be read as a verified city benchmark cross-checked against the surrounding labor market, not as a guarantee that every employer in Chicago pays the same rate.

Verified salary benchmark$122,400
Federal income tax$18,110
State income tax$6,059
FICA$9,364
Estimated take-home$88,868

What that salary looks like after taxes in Illinois

On a $122,400 salary, the estimated take-home pay is about $88,868 per year, or $7,406 per month, using single filing status, standard withholding, biweekly pay, and no pre-tax deductions.

This paycheck example uses the same Illinois tax engine that powers the main calculator. If your real paycheck includes retirement contributions, HSA deductions, bonuses, or a different filing status, your exact net pay will differ.

How to use this page with the rest of the site

Sources

Nearby city pages for Software Engineer

This family caps same-profession sibling links at 12 per page so the route stays connected without turning every leaf into a full-site directory. The links are chosen from a symmetric ring ordered by state and city name, which keeps the cap stable while ensuring every leaf both sends and receives family inlinks.