Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary Salary
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondaries in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $66,040 a year. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $102K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $63,751 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Pay for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $77K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 41.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondarys.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $74K | $77K |
| Columbia | $82K | $92K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $82K | $84K |
| Springfield | $70K | $79K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $102K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $140K | +82% | 1,460 |
| Colorado | $122K | +59% | 370 |
| Maryland | $100K | +30% | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $95K | +24% | 790 |
| Oregon | $94K | +23% | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $84K | +10% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $83K | +8% | 100 |
| New York | $83K | +8% | 880 |
| Louisiana | $82K | +7% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $82K | +7% | 300 |
| Delaware | $81K | +5% | 40 |
| Iowa | $80K | +4% | 80 |
| Massachusetts | $80K | +4% | 380 |
| New Hampshire | $79K | +3% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $79K | +3% | 110 |
| Texas | $77K | +1% | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $77K | +0% | 150 |
| Michigan | $77K | +0% | 360 |
| West Virginia | $77K | +0% | 90 |
| Utah | $77K | +0% | 80 |
| Ohio | $77K | +0% | 420 |
| Connecticut | $73K | -5% | 200 |
| Washington | $73K | -5% | 120 |
| New Jersey | $72K | -7% | 530 |
| Georgia | $72K | -7% | 320 |
| Arizona | $71K | -7% | 310 |
| Missouri | $71K | -8% | 360 |
| Wyoming | $70K | -9% | 40 |
| Indiana | $68K | -11% | 170 |
| North Dakota | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Nevada | $67K | -12% | 60 |
| Illinois | $66K | -14% | 480 |
| Alabama | $65K | -15% | 130 |
| North Carolina | $63K | -18% | 1,220 |
| Oklahoma | $63K | -18% | 90 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -19% | 60 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -19% | 190 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -20% | 70 |
| Florida | $62K | -20% | 840 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -21% | 100 |
| Kansas | $50K | -34% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 41 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 41.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,781/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $66K here vs. $77K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $77K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $66,040 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,350, and experienced criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries can clear $102,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,298/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 41.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary salary is worth about $63,751 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondaries get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.