Software developer · Chicago, IL
Software developer in Chicago: $4,397/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median software developer wage in Chicago at $134,380 a year. About 40,370 software developer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.82). The 10th percentile is $83,820 and the 90th is $203,410. Pay ranks 33rd-highest of 375 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.3× 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 $4,397 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Kokomo, about 126 miles away, at $5,254 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$4,397
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$134,380
$83,820 to $203,410
Rent (1 bd)
$1,782
$2,122 (2 bd)
Employment
40,370
Location quotient 0.82
Pay rank
33rd of 375
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.3×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, software developer pay of $134,380.
- Taxes$3,148
- Rent$1,782
- Other$1,871
- Left$4,397
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $134,380
- Federal income tax
- −$20,985
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$10,280
- State income tax (IL)
- −$6,514
- Take-home pay
- $96,600
- Effective tax rate
- 28.1%
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
$4,397 left/mo
Rank every metro for a software developer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Kokomo, $5,254/mo.
Software developer leftover by city →Best cities for software developers to move to →Software developer nearby
Compare Chicago with another city
Other jobs in Chicago
- Registered nurse
- 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
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a software developer make in Chicago?
$134,380 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 40,370 software developer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a software developer in Chicago?
$4,397 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax Rent is $1,782, and pay covers 6.3× a year of it.
Where nearby would a software developer keep more?
Kokomo, about 126 miles away, leaves $5,254 a month, more than Chicago.