High school teacher · Rockford, IL

High school teacher in Rockford: $2,106/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median high school teacher wage in Rockford at $78,500 a year. About 880 high school teacher jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.93). The 10th percentile is $47,860 and the 90th is $104,000. Pay ranks 83rd-highest of 369 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 7.0× a year of one-bedroom rent ($940/mo). Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,106 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Chicago, about 73 miles away, at $2,451 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,106

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$78,500

$47,860 to $104,000

Rent (1 bd)

$940

$1,119 (2 bd)

Employment

880

Location quotient 0.93

Pay rank

83rd of 369

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

7.0×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, high school teacher pay of $78,500.

Taxes$1,553
Rent$940
Other living costs$1,943
Left over$2,106

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $78,500
Federal income tax: −$8,884
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,005
State income tax (IL): −$3,748
Take-home pay: $59,862
Effective tax rate: 23.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $940
Groceries: $378
Getting around: $575
Healthcare: $425
Utilities and internet: $236
Everything else: $330
Total spending: $2,883

Left over each month

$6,542 gross, minus $1,553 in tax and $2,883 in living costs.

$2,106

Rank every metro for a high school teacher

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Chicago, $2,451/mo.

High school teacher leftover by city →Best cities for high school teachers to move to →

High school teacher nearby

Questions

What does a high school teacher make in Rockford?

$78,500 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 880 high school teacher jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a high school teacher in Rockford?

$2,106 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax Rent is $940, and pay covers 7.0× a year of it.

Where nearby would a high school teacher keep more?

Chicago, about 73 miles away, leaves $2,451 a month, more than Rockford.