How many departments does the City of Chicago have?

The city's employee payroll extract lists 39 departments, from the Chicago Police Department down to small boards and commissions with a handful of staff. Sister agencies such as Chicago Public Schools, the CTA, and the Chicago Park District have their own payrolls and are not included.

Which City of Chicago department has the most employees?

The Chicago Police Department is the largest, with 12,157 people on the payroll — more than the next several departments combined.

Does the average pay shown here include hourly workers?

No. The city records an annual salary for salaried employees and an hourly rate for hourly employees, and leaves the other field blank. The average on this page is computed over salaried staff only, while the headcount covers everyone. Each department page reports salaried and hourly pay separately.

City of Chicago departments, by the numbers

Every department on the city payroll, ranked by headcount, with average pay for salaried staff. Open a department for its median pay, most common job titles, and the contracts it has awarded. Across all departments the current extract lists 31,757 employees.

DepartmentEmployeesAvg. salaried pay

1Chicago Police Department12,157$118,207
2Chicago Fire Department4,780$129,517
3Department of Water Management2,049$114,152
4Department of Streets and Sanitation2,012$110,574
5Chicago Department of Aviation1,986$98,762
6Chicago Department of Transportation1,282$118,482
7Chicago Public Library1,089$90,849
8Department of Fleet and Facility Management879$109,046
9Office of Emergency Management and Communications869$90,549
10Chicago Department of Public Health593$107,367
11Department of Family and Support Services572$102,712
12Department of Finance562$90,399
13City Council409$92,804
14Department of Law347$122,852
15Office of Public Safety Administration295$107,346
16Department of Buildings231$137,295
17Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection174$107,811
18Department of Planning and Development163$112,905
19Civilian Office of Police Accountability116$114,033
20Office of Inspector General109$110,905
21Department of Human Resources108$109,921
22Office of the Mayor104$125,193
23Department of Housing102$105,984
24Board of Election Commissioners99$67,470
25Department of Technology and Innovation98$134,914
26Department of Procurement Services86$118,120
27Office of City Clerk86$98,399
28Chicago Animal Care and Control72$82,191
29Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events68$115,825
30Department of Environment55$115,041
31Office of Budget & Management52$124,696
32Mayors Office for People with Disabilities35$105,332
33City Treasurer's Office34$121,288
34Department of Administrative Hearing32$101,815
35Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability23$120,268
36Chicago Commission on Human Relations19$117,205
37Board of Ethics7$125,193
38Chicago Police Board2$105,702
39License Appeal Commission1$122,976

Source

Employee Salariesupdated periodicallyofficial portal ↗

Headcount is every row in the current payroll extract. Average pay covers salaried employees only, because the city leaves annual_salary blank for hourly staff.

About Chicago's departments

How many departments does the City of Chicago have?: The city's employee payroll extract lists 39 departments, from the Chicago Police Department down to small boards and commissions with a handful of staff. Sister agencies such as Chicago Public Schools, the CTA, and the Chicago Park District have their own payrolls and are not included.
Which City of Chicago department has the most employees?: The Chicago Police Department is the largest, with 12,157 people on the payroll — more than the next several departments combined.
Does the average pay shown here include hourly workers?: No. The city records an annual salary for salaried employees and an hourly rate for hourly employees, and leaves the other field blank. The average on this page is computed over salaried staff only, while the headcount covers everyone. Each department page reports salaried and hourly pay separately.