Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin

BLS metro-level wage data places Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at a median of $63,470 per year, drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $72,990, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays 13% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 1,430 social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all others are employed across the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin MSA in SOC 25-1069.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pay distribution spans from $31,200 at the 10th percentile to $106,620 at the 90th, a 3.4× 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 $60,320 and the 75th at $79,400, so half of Chicago-Naperville-Elgin-based social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all others 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.