Firefighter · Chicago, IL
Firefighter in Chicago: $1,608/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median firefighter wage in Chicago at $82,820 a year. About 14,560 firefighter jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.45). The 10th percentile is $42,080 and the 90th is $112,930. Pay ranks 19th-highest of 346 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 3.9× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,782/mo). Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $1,608 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Sheboygan, about 137 miles away, at $2,281 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$1,608
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$82,820
$42,080 to $112,930
Rent (1 bd)
$1,782
$2,122 (2 bd)
Employment
14,560
Location quotient 1.45
Pay rank
19th of 346
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
3.9×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, firefighter pay of $82,820.
- Taxes$1,641
- Rent$1,782
- Other$1,871
- Left$1,608
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $82,820
- Federal income tax
- −$9,390
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$6,336
- State income tax (IL)
- −$3,962
- Take-home pay
- $63,132
- Effective tax rate
- 23.8%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,782
- Groceries
- $408
- Getting around
- $392
- Healthcare
- $459
- Utilities and internet
- $255
- Everything else
- $357
- Total spending
- $3,653
After tax and rent
$1,608 left/mo
Rank every metro for a firefighter
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Sheboygan, $2,281/mo.
Firefighter leftover by city →Best cities for firefighters to move to →Firefighter nearby
Compare Chicago with another city
Other jobs in Chicago
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a firefighter make in Chicago?
$82,820 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 14,560 firefighter jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a firefighter in Chicago?
$1,608 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax Rent is $1,782, and pay covers 3.9× a year of it.
Where nearby would a firefighter keep more?
Sheboygan, about 137 miles away, leaves $2,281 a month, more than Chicago.