The median annual wage for accountants and auditors working in Chicago, IL, sits at $82,360, per BLS survey data. It runs 7% above the national median of $77,200 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $72,280 and $103,120 — a 30,840 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The average (mean) of $91,990 comes in higher than the median, which usually means a share of high earners is pulling the average up. The catch: Chicago is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $39.60, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for accountants and auditors across all U.S. metros in our data is $77,200.