Registered Nurse Salary in Chicago, IL (2026)

What registered nurse pay in Chicago really looks like

Chicago tracks the national market almost exactly. The local registered nurse median of $100,490 a year sits within 3% ($2,940) of the U.S. median of $97,550, so national salary benchmarks translate cleanly to this metro — the number you have seen quoted nationally is, give or take, what registered nurses actually earn in Chicago.

The local range is moderate — $82,640 at the 25th percentile to $108,430 at the 75th (BLS). Half of Chicago Registered Nurses earn inside that band, so it is a realistic target window: an offer near $108,430 is genuinely strong for the metro, while anything under $82,640 is worth pushing back on with the BLS figures in hand.

This is a substantial local market: BLS estimates roughly 100,240 registered nurse jobs across the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (a count of metro employment, not a survey of reported salaries). A deep employer base is good news for pay — it means more openings to compare side by side, more turnover creating vacancies, and more leverage to hold out for an employer at the top of the local range instead of settling for the first offer that lands.

Right now, Jobeezy is tracking 24 open registered nurse jobs in Chicago against the BLS $100,490 benchmark — the live listings and the employers hiring are below, so you can see which openings actually clear the metro median before you apply.

Put it together and the picture for Chicago is concrete: a metro median of $100,490 with most registered nurses landing between $82,640 and $108,430. The practical move is to aim for the upper half of that band. Jobeezy fit-scores local registered nurse openings, surfaces the employers posting toward $108,430, and applies for you — so your time goes to the jobs that clear the Chicago median, not the ones that sit under it.

How we know this — Chicago sources

Wage figures for Registered Nurse in Chicago, IL are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimate for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (MSA code 16980) (SOC 29-1141), released 2026-07-23. Suppressed cells are shown as an em dash, never a zero.

Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · Jobeezy Compensation Data

How we source & label these figures →

Registered Nurse pay in Chicago, IL — common questions

How much does a Registered Nurse make in Chicago, IL?

The median Registered Nurse salary in Chicago, IL is $100,490/year ($2,940 (3%) above the national median), with a typical range of $82,640–$108,430 (25th–75th percentile). Figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-07-23.

Is Chicago a strong pay market for Registered Nurses?

At a $100,490 median, Chicago is $2,940 (3%) above the national median. The U.S. median is $97,550. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.

How can I earn more as a Registered Nurse in Chicago?

Target employers paying toward the $108,430 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Registered Nurse openings in Chicago and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.

How many Registered Nurses work in Chicago?

BLS estimates roughly 100,240 registered nurse jobs across Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).