The average salary for a Teacher in Chicago is 66,285 $ per year on a 40-hour full-time equivalent, or 5,524 $ gross per month and 31.87 $ gross per hour. The reported full-time salary range is 37,143 $ to 104,762 $. The analysis is based on 29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/09/2026 | Instructional Specialist / Head Teacher | 42.0 h | 110,000 $ | 104,762 $ | 8,730 $ | 50.37 $ | I work as the head teacher and instructional specialist overseeing curriculum implementation across several schools in the district. My role is leadership-focused and includes coaching principals and teachers. |
| 11/18/2025 | Early Childhood Center Director (Management) | 45.0 h | 102,500 $ | 91,111 $ | 7,593 $ | 43.80 $ | I manage a mid-sized early childhood center, handling staffing, licensing, and curriculum oversight. This is a management role with longer hours and responsibilities beyond classroom teaching. |
| 07/01/2025 | Adjunct Professor - Education (Part-Time) | 18.0 h | 30,000 $ | 66,667 $ | 5,556 $ | 32.05 $ | I teach two evening education courses at a local college as an adjunct. This is part-time academic work in addition to my K-12 teaching schedule, and income reflects semester-based pay. |
| 03/05/2025 | Advanced Placement (AP) Teacher - Social Studies | 40.0 h | 88,000 $ | 88,000 $ | 7,333 $ | 42.31 $ | I teach multiple AP courses at a selective public high school and run after-school review sessions. I reported this salary after moving up several steps on the district salary schedule. |
| 12/05/2024 | Elementary Montessori Teacher (Private) | 38.0 h | 58,000 $ | 61,053 $ | 5,088 $ | 29.35 $ | I teach in a private Montessori elementary classroom. I work full-time with slightly different hours for parent conferences and community events and have been at the school for six years. |
| 10/22/2024 | Department Chair - STEM | 42.0 h | 96,000 $ | 91,429 $ | 7,619 $ | 43.96 $ | I serve as the STEM department chair at a large high school, overseeing curriculum, teacher evaluations, and program budgeting. This is a leadership position with additional responsibilities beyond classroom teaching. |
| 05/30/2024 | Special Education Senior Teacher | 40.0 h | 82,000 $ | 82,000 $ | 6,833 $ | 39.42 $ | I lead the special education team at my school and handle complex IEPs and staff scheduling. I'm full-time and have over a decade of experience in special education services. |
| 02/14/2024 | Bilingual Teacher | 40.0 h | 72,000 $ | 72,000 $ | 6,000 $ | 34.62 $ | I teach bilingual Spanish-English classes in a public elementary school. I reported this salary after being in the district eight years; I lead parent nights and coordinate bilingual materials. |
| 11/29/2023 | Special Education Lead Teacher | 40.0 h | 91,000 $ | 91,000 $ | 7,583 $ | 43.75 $ | I lead special education programming at a public school, coordinate with outside service providers, and supervise paraprofessionals. This is a senior teaching position with administrative responsibilities. |
| 09/09/2023 | Music Teacher (Private Practice) | 20.0 h | 36,000 $ | 72,000 $ | 6,000 $ | 34.62 $ | I run a small private music tutoring practice, teaching lessons to students after school and on weekends. This is part-time self-employed work and I handle scheduling and billing myself. |
| 06/26/2023 | Charter School STEM Teacher | 40.0 h | 68,000 $ | 68,000 $ | 5,667 $ | 32.69 $ | I teach middle school STEM at a charter school. The job includes full-time teaching, coaching a robotics team, and a heavier after-school commitment compared to district schools. |
| 01/11/2023 | Senior Elementary Teacher (Master's + Steps) | 40.0 h | 74,500 $ | 74,500 $ | 6,208 $ | 35.82 $ | I've been teaching K-3 for over 12 years in a large district and have advanced on the salary schedule due to my master's degree and years of service. I teach full-time and mentor new teachers. |
| 10/03/2022 | Literacy Coach / Department Chair | 42.0 h | 85,000 $ | 80,952 $ | 6,746 $ | 38.92 $ | I was promoted to literacy coach and department chair at a neighborhood high school. I work full-time with additional leadership responsibilities, observing classrooms, coaching teachers, and running intervention programs. |
| 05/19/2022 | High School Visual Arts Teacher | 40.0 h | 62,500 $ | 62,500 $ | 5,208 $ | 30.05 $ | I teach visual arts in a public high school and coordinate the annual student exhibition. I had several years of teaching experience and this is a full-time position with after-school duties for shows. |
| 03/03/2022 | Music Teacher (Public School) | 38.0 h | 55,000 $ | 57,895 $ | 4,825 $ | 27.83 $ | I'm the full-time public school band director for grades 4-8. I reported this salary while managing rehearsals, concerts, and instrument inventory. I work a full schedule including several evenings. |
| 12/20/2021 | High School English Teacher (Large District) | 40.0 h | 79,000 $ | 79,000 $ | 6,583 $ | 37.98 $ | I teach high school English in one of the city's larger schools and have been here nine years. I report this as a full-time classroom teacher with extracurricular responsibilities like the literary magazine. |
| 08/14/2021 | Preschool Teacher (Private) | 30.0 h | 35,000 $ | 46,667 $ | 3,889 $ | 22.44 $ | I teach at a small private preschool and work part-time mornings and early afternoons. I handle curriculum for the 3-year-old class and communicate with families regularly. |
| 03/30/2021 | Instructional Coach | 42.0 h | 78,000 $ | 74,286 $ | 6,190 $ | 35.71 $ | I work district-wide as an instructional coach supporting K-5 teachers. I was in this leadership role full-time and spent time in classrooms, running PD workshops, and helping implement curriculum. |
| 11/21/2020 | Substitute Teacher (Part-Time) | 20.0 h | 22,000 $ | 44,000 $ | 3,667 $ | 21.15 $ | I worked as a substitute across multiple CPS schools and typically accepted day-to-day assignments. This is part-time work and income reflects irregular full days throughout the year. |
| 08/15/2020 | Long-Term Substitute Teacher | 40.0 h | 45,000 $ | 45,000 $ | 3,750 $ | 21.63 $ | I covered a full-time teacher's maternity leave for the academic year. I was paid like a temporary full-time teacher and handled the full classroom responsibilities for that year. |
| 06/10/2020 | ESL Teacher (Part-Time) | 25.0 h | 28,000 $ | 44,800 $ | 3,733 $ | 21.54 $ | I taught ESL classes at a community language center part-time while also holding a part-time daycare position. My hours were evenings and weekends, and I handled curriculum for adult learners. |
| 12/01/2019 | High School Science Teacher | 40.0 h | 61,000 $ | 61,000 $ | 5,083 $ | 29.33 $ | I teach biology and chemistry at a large urban high school. At the time I had seven years of experience and led the school's lab safety committee. |
| 09/02/2019 | Special Education Teacher | 40.0 h | 58,000 $ | 58,000 $ | 4,833 $ | 27.88 $ | I work in a district special education co-teaching program. I had about four years in special ed services when I reported this salary; I provide individualized instruction and support IEP meetings. |
| 02/18/2019 | Remote Online Tutor (Self-Employed) | 20.0 h | 32,000 $ | 64,000 $ | 5,333 $ | 30.77 $ | I tutor high school students online in math and science as an independent contractor. This is part-time work I started to supplement income; I set my own schedule and billing rates. |
| 11/07/2018 | Career and Technical Education (CTE) Teacher | 40.0 h | 58,000 $ | 58,000 $ | 4,833 $ | 27.88 $ | I teach CTE courses in a Chicago public high school. I have industry certifications and five years teaching; I run the lab and coordinate internships with local businesses. |
| 04/15/2018 | High School Mathematics Teacher | 40.0 h | 56,000 $ | 56,000 $ | 4,667 $ | 26.92 $ | I teach algebra and pre-calculus at a public high school. I had six years of experience at the time and held a master's degree; my role includes coaching a math team. |
| 11/20/2017 | Middle School Science Teacher | 40.0 h | 48,500 $ | 48,500 $ | 4,042 $ | 23.32 $ | I teach 6th and 7th grade science at a mid-sized public middle school. I have four years of experience and do full-time classroom instruction, grading, and run the after-school STEM club. |
| 12/12/2016 | Assistant Preschool Teacher | 28.0 h | 26,000 $ | 37,143 $ | 3,095 $ | 17.86 $ | I work at a small private preschool as an assistant teacher. I'm part-time, working mornings and some early afternoons. I handle circle time, snack, and nap supervision and have been here two years. |
| 07/05/2016 | Elementary School Teacher | 40.0 h | 42,000 $ | 42,000 $ | 3,500 $ | 20.19 $ | I am an entry-level elementary teacher in a Chicago public school. This was my first year out of the credential program and I taught a combined K-1 classroom. I'm full-time and do lesson planning and after-school parent communication, but I don't have any supervisory duties. |
Teaching in Chicago blends big-city opportunity with a complex, diverse education landscape. The Chicago metro area is a national education hub with Chicago Public Schools (CPS), one of the countrys largest districts, plus a wide range of charter, private, and community-based early childhood providers. Educators here typically work with students from many cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and schools often value experience with urban education, restorative practices, and culturally responsive teaching.
Local hiring cycles usually start in late winter and build through summer as schools finalize budgets and enrollment projections. Mid-year openings are also common due to leaves, transfers, and program changes. Candidates who hold in-demand endorsementsike special education (LBS1), bilingual/ESL, math, science, computer science, and certain career and technical education subjectsend to receive strong interest from hiring teams across the city.
CPS enrolls well over 300,000 students across neighborhood, magnet, selective-enrollment, and specialty schools. The district and its charter partners serve communities where many students speak languages other than English at home; CPS reports that English Learners make up a significant share of total enrollment, so bilingual and ESL-certified teachers are frequently sought. Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) surveys have for several years identified persistent educator shortages statewide, especially in special education and bilingual educationrends reflected in Chicago postings.
Chicagos broader economyincluding healthcare, finance, logistics, and technologyshapes local curriculum and programming. High schools often expand STEM, computer science, and work-based learning, sometimes in partnership with City Colleges of Chicago and industry groups. Early childhood education also remains a focus, with city-led efforts to expand pre-K access through CPS and community-based organizations. These dynamics generally support steady demand for licensed teachers across grade levels.
To teach in public schools, educators typically need an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) with appropriate endorsements. Many employers require background checks and, in some cases, TB testing. CPS generally maintains a residency requirement for most full-time staff, and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) represents CPS teachers, which can influence calendars, professional development, and hiring timelines.
Teachers in Chicago can pursue roles across multiple settings:
Educators in Chicago typically find multiple avenues for growth, both within schools and across the regions broader education sector:
Overall, the outlook for teachers in Chicago is generally steady, with consistent hiring in critical shortage areas and a broad ecosystem of employers. Educators who bring strong classroom management, data-informed instruction, and skill with multilingual learners typically find multiple options across CPS, charters, private schools, early childhood centers, and education-focused nonprofits throughout the city and its surrounding suburbs.
The average salary for a Teacher in Chicago is 66,285 $ per year on a 40-hour basis, or 5,524 $ 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 Teacher and the city overview for Chicago. They show reported cities or jobs with their difference from the average.
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