The average salary for a Accountant in Chicago is 89,056 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 7,421 $ gross per month and 42.82 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 42,500 $ to 164,444 $. The analysis is based on 30 salary reports from workers and employers in Chicago. Part-time salaries are proportionally converted to 40 weekly hours so the values are comparable.
| Date | Job title | Weekly hours | Reported gross/year | Normalized to 40h/year | Gross/month 40h | Gross/hour 40h | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/15/2026 | Staff Accountant (part-time) | 25.0 h | 34,000 $ | 54,400 $ | 4,533 $ | 26.15 $ | I work part-time as a staff accountant at a family-owned business handling payroll and AP while finishing a graduate degree. |
| 03/30/2026 | Senior Tax Manager | 44.0 h | 165,000 $ | 150,000 $ | 12,500 $ | 72.12 $ | I manage a team in the tax department for a national company, lead strategy and compliance, and frequently put in long hours during busy season. |
| 11/03/2025 | Senior Accountant (tech startup) | 40.0 h | 118,000 $ | 118,000 $ | 9,833 $ | 56.73 $ | I lead the finance accounting function at a mid-stage tech startup, handle revenue accounting complexities and help with fundraising reporting. |
| 06/24/2025 | Accounting Manager (small business) | 42.0 h | 129,000 $ | 122,857 $ | 10,238 $ | 59.07 $ | I manage accounting operations and a small team at a growing small business; my role includes budgeting, forecasting, and staff oversight. |
| 01/10/2025 | Contract CPA (self-employed, part-time) | 30.0 h | 95,000 $ | 126,667 $ | 10,556 $ | 60.90 $ | I run my own CPA practice and take on higher-billing part-time clients, focusing on tax planning and advisory work around 30 hours per week. |
| 12/18/2024 | Controller (large corporation) | 45.0 h | 185,000 $ | 164,444 $ | 13,704 $ | 79.06 $ | I am the controller for a large national company operating in Chicago and oversee corporate accounting, audits, and financial controls; it's a demanding leadership role. |
| 09/29/2024 | Senior Financial Accountant | 40.0 h | 125,000 $ | 125,000 $ | 10,417 $ | 60.10 $ | I work as a senior financial accountant in corporate reporting for a scalable business; I prepare SEC-adjacent reporting and mentor juniors. |
| 04/18/2024 | Staff Accountant (recent grad) | 40.0 h | 62,000 $ | 62,000 $ | 5,167 $ | 29.81 $ | I was hired as an entry-level staff accountant after graduation and handle AP, month-end entries, and assist on audits at a local firm. |
| 12/05/2023 | Accounting Director | 45.0 h | 155,000 $ | 137,778 $ | 11,481 $ | 66.24 $ | I lead the accounting function for a large corporation's Midwest division, oversee multiple teams, and work extended hours when closing and during audits. |
| 08/03/2023 | Tax Specialist | 38.0 h | 86,000 $ | 90,526 $ | 7,544 $ | 43.52 $ | I'm a mid-level tax specialist at a regional firm focused on state and local tax issues; full-time but typically maintain a standard schedule. |
| 02/14/2023 | Payroll Manager | 42.0 h | 108,000 $ | 102,857 $ | 8,571 $ | 49.45 $ | I manage payroll and benefits administration across multiple locations; it's a management role and I typically work extended hours around payroll dates. |
| 11/22/2022 | Controller (small nonprofit) | 45.0 h | 120,000 $ | 106,667 $ | 8,889 $ | 51.28 $ | I serve as controller for a small nonprofit and supervise the accounting team; this is a full-time leadership role with extra hours during month-end. |
| 07/07/2022 | Senior Accountant (healthcare) | 40.0 h | 102,000 $ | 102,000 $ | 8,500 $ | 49.04 $ | I am a senior accountant at a healthcare provider with 7 years of experience, working full time on revenue recognition and grant reporting. |
| 03/15/2022 | Staff Accountant (large corporation) | 40.0 h | 78,000 $ | 78,000 $ | 6,500 $ | 37.50 $ | I work full time in a global company's finance department doing consolidations and intercompany reconciliations; I have two years there. |
| 11/01/2021 | Accounting Manager | 42.0 h | 115,000 $ | 109,524 $ | 9,127 $ | 52.66 $ | I manage a small accounting team at a regional distributor and handle month-end close, audits, and staff development in a full-time leadership role. |
| 06/10/2021 | Senior Tax Accountant | 40.0 h | 95,000 $ | 95,000 $ | 7,917 $ | 45.67 $ | I'm a senior tax accountant at a boutique CPA firm focusing on corporate tax work and am responsible for complex returns and reviews. |
| 02/05/2021 | Senior Accountant (nonprofit) | 39.0 h | 74,000 $ | 75,897 $ | 6,325 $ | 36.49 $ | I work full time at a nonprofit doing fund accounting and grant reporting; I've been here several years and handle complex fund reconciliations. |
| 11/19/2020 | Contract Accountant (self-employed, part-time) | 20.0 h | 38,000 $ | 76,000 $ | 6,333 $ | 36.54 $ | I'm self-employed and do contract accounting two days a week for several small clients handling bookkeeping and monthly closes. |
| 07/09/2020 | Temporary Accounting Analyst (part-time) | 30.0 h | 42,000 $ | 56,000 $ | 4,667 $ | 26.92 $ | I was hired as a temporary accounting analyst working part-time to support the finance team through a busy quarter doing reconciliations and reporting. |
| 02/28/2020 | Staff Accountant (hybrid) | 38.0 h | 72,000 $ | 75,789 $ | 6,316 $ | 36.44 $ | I work a hybrid schedule as a staff accountant for a larger firm; responsibilities include reconciliations and process improvement projects. |
| 09/12/2019 | Corporate Accountant | 40.0 h | 70,000 $ | 70,000 $ | 5,833 $ | 33.65 $ | I handle month-end close and fixed asset accounting for a mid-sized Illinois company. I have about three years of experience here. |
| 04/30/2019 | Audit Senior | 40.0 h | 85,000 $ | 85,000 $ | 7,083 $ | 40.87 $ | I work full time as an audit senior at a regional audit firm running engagements for private clients; I mentor juniors occasionally. |
| 02/11/2019 | Forensic Accountant | 40.0 h | 95,000 $ | 95,000 $ | 7,917 $ | 45.67 $ | I specialize in forensic accounting for small investigations and work full time at a small specialized firm handling fraud exams and litigation support. |
| 10/21/2018 | Payroll Specialist | 38.0 h | 62,500 $ | 65,789 $ | 5,482 $ | 31.63 $ | I manage payroll for roughly 150 employees at a small manufacturing company and have been here four years; no direct reports. |
| 06/06/2018 | Accounts Payable Clerk (entry) | 38.0 h | 46,500 $ | 48,947 $ | 4,079 $ | 23.53 $ | I'm an entry-level AP clerk at a regional firm and have been doing invoice processing, vendor reconciliation, and support to the accounting team. |
| 03/02/2018 | Senior Accountant | 40.0 h | 75,000 $ | 75,000 $ | 6,250 $ | 36.06 $ | I have five years of experience and work as a senior accountant for a mid-sized distributor handling GL, budgeting, and month-end close. |
| 12/15/2017 | Junior Staff Accountant | 38.5 h | 52,000 $ | 54,026 $ | 4,502 $ | 25.97 $ | I'm a junior staff accountant at a mid-sized nonprofit; my responsibilities have grown but I don't manage staff yet. |
| 05/20/2017 | Tax Associate | 40.0 h | 58,000 $ | 58,000 $ | 4,833 $ | 27.88 $ | I was hired as a tax associate after graduating and work full time in a regional CPA practice preparing individual and small business returns. |
| 11/03/2016 | Bookkeeper (part-time) | 24.0 h | 25,500 $ | 42,500 $ | 3,542 $ | 20.43 $ | I work part-time doing bookkeeping for a local retail shop; I handle payroll and invoicing and have been in this role for three years. |
| 08/11/2016 | Staff Accountant | 40.0 h | 48,000 $ | 48,000 $ | 4,000 $ | 23.08 $ | I started here as an entry-level staff accountant two years ago at a small manufacturing firm. I handle month-end reconciliations and AP/AR but do not supervise others. |
Chicago’s diversified economy, centralized location, and role as a Midwest headquarters hub make it a steady market for accountants. From global corporations in the Loop and West Loop to rapidly growing tech and logistics firms near the O’Hare corridor, employers across sectors typically need accounting talent for compliance, reporting, audit, and tax functions. National forecasts from major labor sources point to stable demand for accountants, and Chicago often tracks that trend thanks to its deep base of finance, manufacturing, healthcare, education, and government employers.
Hiring tends to follow predictable cycles. Public accounting firms typically ramp up ahead of audit busy season, while corporate controllers and tax departments expand workloads around quarterly closes, fiscal year-ends, and spring and fall tax deadlines. Post-pandemic, many employers in Chicago have adopted hybrid schedules, though on-site work is still common during inventory counts, audits, or key close activities. Specialized skills in data analytics, ERP systems, and regulatory reporting can help candidates stand out in this market.
The Chicago metro (often called Chicagoland) includes the city and a network of suburban business centers such as Oak Brook, Schaumburg, Deerfield, and Northbrook. This geography broadens opportunities for accountants in corporate headquarters, shared service centers, and distribution-focused operations. The Loop remains a dense cluster for financial services, public accounting, and corporate finance teams, while the West Loop and Fulton Market districts have seen growth in tech, consumer brands, and professional services that hire accountants for revenue recognition, cost accounting, and business partnering roles.
Regional industry characteristics shape day-to-day accounting work. Chicago’s strong financial markets mean frequent openings in audit, risk, internal controls, and SEC reporting. A large manufacturing and food processing footprint creates demand for cost accountants and plant finance analysts. Healthcare systems and universities in the city typically employ accountants for grants management, fund accounting, and compliance. Logistics and e-commerce distribution centers around O’Hare and the I-90/I-294 corridors often need professionals skilled in inventory, fixed assets, and multi-entity consolidations.
Employers here frequently value the CPA, and many also look for proficiency with GAAP, SOX/internal controls, and tools like Excel, SAP, Oracle, Workday, Power BI, and Tableau. Knowledge of ASC 606 (revenue), ASC 842 (leases), and multi-state tax concepts can be advantageous. Experience with ESG/ sustainability reporting and data automation (for example, Alteryx) is also gaining traction in the market.
Accountants in Chicago can find roles across public accounting, corporate finance, financial markets, healthcare, education, and the public sector. Well-known organizations that often hire include:
Many of these employers run structured campus recruiting programs and also hire experienced professionals for roles in audit, tax, financial reporting, FP&A, and internal audit. Contract and project-based assignments are common during peak periods, with conversion to permanent roles possible in some cases.
Typical entry points include staff accountant, audit associate, or tax associate, with progression into senior accountant, senior auditor, senior tax associate, and eventually manager or controller. In corporate settings, accountants often move into financial reporting, technical accounting, cost accounting, revenue accounting, or FP&A. In Chicago’s finance ecosystem, fund accounting roles are common with private equity, hedge funds, and real estate investment managers. Internal audit and SOX compliance roles remain active due to regulatory requirements and ongoing process modernization.
Professionals who enjoy client-facing work and varied engagements may gravitate toward public accounting, while those who prefer depth in a single business may choose corporate accounting or FP&A. Specialized tracks—such as SEC reporting, international tax, transfer pricing, and M&A integration—are available at many large employers in the metro. Networking through local professional groups, including the Illinois CPA Society based in Chicago, can help candidates learn about openings and industry developments. Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across departments are consistently valued, especially in hybrid environments where teams coordinate across multiple locations.
Overall, the outlook for accountants in Chicago is generally positive, supported by the region’s broad industry base, the presence of global firms, and ongoing needs for accurate financial reporting and compliance. Candidates who pair core accounting fundamentals with technology and data skills typically find a wide range of opportunities across the city and its surrounding suburbs.
The average salary for a Accountant in Chicago is 89,056 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 7,421 $ gross per month.
Part-time and full-time reports are normalized to a 40-hour workweek so salary reports can be compared fairly.
You can find more comparisons on the profession overview for Accountant and the city overview for Chicago. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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