BLS metro-level wage data places Photographers pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at a median of $36,810 per year ($17.70/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $44,660, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays 18% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,590 photographerss are employed across the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin MSA in SOC 27-4021.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pay distribution spans from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $100,080 at the 90th — a 3.2× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $34,520 and the 75th at $59,020, so half of Chicago-Naperville-Elgin-based photographerss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide IL data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.