City of Chicago pay, by job title

What the city actually pays for each of 220 job titles — headcount and average pay, straight from the published payroll. Pick a title for the full breakdown, or search the payroll by name.

Job titleEmployeesAvg. salaried pay
Police Officer7,835$110,041
Firefighter-Emt1,645$120,985
Sergeant1,292$145,300
Police Officer (Assigned As Detective)1,145$136,996
Motor Truck Driver992
Sanitation Laborer673
Firefighter-Emt (Recruit)499$91,234
Lieutenant-Emt488$153,972
Pool Motor Truck Driver459
Construction Laborer430
Fire Engineer-Emt411$138,166
Paramedic388$102,051
Police Officer / Fld Trng Officer336$124,501
Lieutenant326$164,646
Aviation Security Officer303$82,000
Paramedic I/C276$134,580
Firefighter/Paramedic262$123,407
Hoisting Engineer251
Electrical Mechanic227
Police Communications Operator II217$89,275
Traffic Control Aide-Hourly187
Library Page182
Laborer176
Operating Engineer-Group A174
Captain-Emt171$178,296
Administrative Assistant171$72,704
Operating Engineer-Group C167
Police Communications Operator I164$83,796
Detention Aide162$87,304
General Laborer - Dss161
Machinist (Automotive)156
Concrete Laborer153
Plumber151
Librarian I147$82,861
Staff Asst To The Alderman133$74,047
Senior Administrative Assistant133$86,890
Project Manager121$110,897
Police Officer (Assigned As Evidence Technician)115$133,716
Parking Enforcement Aide113$56,099
Foster Grandparent112
Library Clerk112$54,965
Asphalt Laborer110
Staff Asst109$100,275
Tree Trimmer97
Project Coord97$89,716
Aldermanic Aide95
Battalion Chief - Emt92$197,756
Librarian IV91$126,011
Ambulance Commander87$163,929
Custodial Worker86
Head Library Clerk85$77,656
Fleet Services Asst82
Senior Office Assistant79$71,264
Librarian III79$111,196
Electrical Mechanic (Automotive)77
Police Administrative Clerk73$68,287
Painter73
Building/Construction Inspector72$126,831
Legislative Aide69$88,167
Training Officer68$88,607
Asst Chief Operating Engineer67
Firefighter66$125,037
Library Associate - Hourly66
Accounting Technician65$74,407
Librarian II63$100,985
Carpenter62
Senior Companion59
Asst Corporation Counsel I58$101,961
Hospitality Worker58
Police Officer (Assigned As (Swat)57$126,808
Asst Corporation Counsel Supvsr57$153,016
Library Clerk - Hourly56
Assistant Commissioner -4355$167,187
Accountant55$97,759
Plumbing Inspector55$136,656
Asst Corporation Counsel III53$115,562
Bricklayer53
Lineman51
Library Associate51$76,661
Laborer - Apprentice51
Foreman Of Motor Truck Drivers50
Victim Specialist50$71,502
Deputy Commissioner49$173,041
Administrative Services Officer I49$89,205
Traffic Control Aide49$59,982
Cement Finisher48
Asst Commissioner47$150,715
Asst To The Alderman47$93,775
Fire Communications Operator I46$82,935
Steamfitter46
Projects Administrator45$120,980
Refuse Collection Coord45$122,186
Ward Superintendent45$118,477
Police Officer/Explsv Detect K9 Hndlr44$129,764
Payment Services Representative44$64,008
Deputy Commissioner - 4244$191,746
Aviation Communications Operator43$88,985
Paramedic Field Chief42$185,834
Exec Administrative Asst II42$92,923
Commander41$197,323
Bridge Operator41$80,379
Watchman39
Captain39$181,087
Investigator-Copa39$103,770
Paralegal II39$93,978
Student Intern - Aldermanic
Airport Operations Supvsr II39$112,134
Machinist39
Civil Engineer IV38$122,837
Asst Corporation Counsel II38$111,028
Support Services Coord38$100,950
Public Health Nurse II36$115,336
Sanitation Clerk36$68,504
Student Intern35
Street Light Repair Worker35$139,734
Business Compliance Investigator33$108,677
Program Manager33$112,092
Aviation Security Sergeant33$95,353
Clinical Therapist III32$111,887
Traffic Enforcement Tech32$44,533
Property Custodian - Auto Pound32$70,800
Equipment Dispatcher32
Communications Operator I - 31131$63,883
Lead Accountant31$117,002
Sanitarian II31$107,803
Asphalt Foreman30
Fire Engineer30$135,742
Foreman Of Electrical Mechanics30
Stores Laborer30
Lamp Maintenance Worker29
Senior Emergency Management Coord29$115,457
Field Service Specialist II29$88,777
Timekeeper - Cpd29$72,883
Information Coord29$92,135
Deputy Dir29$178,137
Lieutenant-Paramedic29$162,783
Senior Program Auditor28$97,364
Police Officer (Asgnd As Marine Officer)28$126,073
Hoisting Engineer - Mechanic28
Field Sanitation Investigator28$108,340
City Planner V28$96,176
Public Health Administrator II28$94,433
Administrative Services Officer II27$119,369
Airport Operations Supvsr I27$86,732
Financial Planning Analyst - Excld26$109,750
Frm Of Machinists - Automotive26
Community Organizer-Caps26$78,775
Communicable Disease Control Investigator II26$100,422
Traffic Signal Repairman26$139,734
Fire Communications Operator II25$123,120
Supervising Police Communications Operator25$128,068
Laborer - Trainee25
Clerk - Bd Of Elections25$46,519
Supervising Traffic Control Aide25$78,815
Asst Community Living Specialist24$67,156
Director - Mayor'S Office24$131,422
Sr Procurement Specialist24$105,954
Public Health Administrator III24$129,854
Emergency Crew Dispatcher23
Asst General Supt Of Streets And Sanitation23$134,111
Construction Laborer (Sub-Foreman)23
Police Officer (Assigned As Traffic Specialist)23$128,123
Frm Of Laborer-Concrete22
Booter - Parking22
Police Mental Health Clinician22$111,767
Information/Media Retrieval Specialist22$89,560
Auditor II22$98,419
Clerk IV - Timekeeper22$67,389
General Laborer - Aviation21
Foreman Of Cement Finishers21
Electrical Inspector21$144,487
Program Specialist21$88,926
Sign Hanger21
Property Custodian21$80,428
Fire Engineer-Paramedic20$143,853
Station Laborer20$57,479
Foreman Of Water Pipe Construction20
Airport Facilities Manager20$103,575
Police Officer (Assigned As Security Specialist)20$145,093
Investigator20$79,874
Supvsr Of Accounting20$120,319
Policy Analyst20$92,158
Contracts Coord20$125,704
Airport Information Ambassador19$55,088
Water Meter Machinist19
Blacksmith19
Human Service Specialist19$99,932
Cultural Affairs Coord II19$83,248
Warrant And Extradition Aide19$88,614
Youth Services Coord19$111,747
Explosives Technician I18$145,802
Stationary Fireman18
Chief Asst Corporation Counsel18$178,887
Water Rate Taker18$88,175
Project Strategy Manager - Cpd18$101,223
Water Chemist II18$96,277
Director Of Finance18$157,599
Service Writer18$98,804
Foreman Of Linemen18$153,358
Criminal Intelligence Analyst18$108,410
Environmental Engineer III18$124,319
Assistant Director-4318$159,078
Shift Supvsr Of Aviation Security18$106,767
Senior Library Clerk17$74,327
Recruiter17$140,086
Police Officer (Assigned As Canine Handler)17$127,326
Deputy District Chief17$197,472
Asst District Superintendent17$140,816
Criminal History Analyst17$97,931
Dir Of Public Affairs16$133,629
Deputy Corporation Counsel16$207,452
Principal Operations Analyst16$93,211
Bridge And Structural Iron Worker16
Auditor III16$115,280
Digital Retrival Specialist - Cpd
Grants Research Specialist15$107,728
Senior Clerk-Elections15$59,263
Principal Clerk-Elections15$60,773
District Clerk14$58,007
Law Clerk8

Average pay covers salaried employees only — titles paid hourly show a dash here and their hourly rate on the title page.

Source

Base pay as published by the City of Chicago. Excludes overtime, pension contributions, and benefits.

About city pay data

How much do City of Chicago employees make?
It varies widely by title. The city publishes the name, job title, department, and pay of all ~32,000 employees, so every figure on these pages is a real number from the official payroll rather than an estimate or a survey.
Does this include overtime?
No. The city publishes base pay — an annual salary for salaried staff and an hourly rate for hourly staff. Overtime, which can be substantial in departments like police and fire, is not part of this dataset.
Why do some titles show an hourly rate instead of a salary?
Chicago records salaried and hourly employees differently: annual_salary is blank for hourly workers and hourly_rate is blank for salaried workers. Each job title page reports whichever applies to that title, and says so.