Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health Salary
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, environmental science and protection technicians, including healths earn $60,380 at the median, or about $29.03 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $58,287 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 44.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including healths
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Environmental science and protection technicians, including health pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 44.9% 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. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Champaign-Urbana | $52K | $56K |
| Peoria | $54K | $59K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $50K | $52K |
| Kansas City | $48K | $52K |
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 environmental science and protection technicians, including healths (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $67K | +22% | 850 |
| Nebraska | $66K | +20% | 140 |
| Connecticut | $66K | +20% | N/A |
| Minnesota | $65K | +19% | 450 |
| Rhode Island | $65K | +18% | 90 |
| New York | $62K | +13% | 1,960 |
| New Mexico | $62K | +13% | 500 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +12% | 140 |
| California | $61K | +11% | 6,010 |
| Colorado | $61K | +11% | 740 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | +10% | 1,180 |
| Montana | $61K | +10% | 70 |
| Nevada | $60K | +10% | 390 |
| Illinois | $60K | +9% | 980 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +8% | 330 |
| Oregon | $59K | +7% | 440 |
| Utah | $58K | +6% | 270 |
| Arizona | $58K | +5% | 590 |
| Hawaii | $57K | +3% | 260 |
| Tennessee | $57K | +3% | 320 |
| Ohio | $56K | +2% | 770 |
| Idaho | $55K | +1% | 200 |
| Wisconsin | $55K | +0% | 380 |
| Alaska | $55K | +0% | 440 |
| Maryland | $55K | +0% | 580 |
| Vermont | $55K | +0% | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $54K | -2% | 80 |
| West Virginia | $53K | -5% | 750 |
| New Jersey | $52K | -5% | 830 |
| Iowa | $52K | -6% | 470 |
| Maine | $52K | -6% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $52K | -6% | 1,100 |
| Michigan | $51K | -7% | 600 |
| Texas | $51K | -8% | 3,350 |
| Missouri | $50K | -9% | 380 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -10% | 150 |
| Virginia | $49K | -10% | 1,450 |
| Indiana | $49K | -11% | 780 |
| Florida | $49K | -11% | 2,090 |
| South Carolina | $49K | -12% | 500 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -12% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -13% | 360 |
| Georgia | $48K | -13% | 1,110 |
| Kansas | $48K | -13% | 340 |
| Kentucky | $47K | -15% | 560 |
| Delaware | $46K | -17% | 150 |
| Alabama | $45K | -18% | 410 |
| South Dakota | $44K | -20% | 60 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -36% | 250 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track environmental science and protection technicians, including health 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 44.9% 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 $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new environmental science and protection technicians, including healths typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,585/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 69% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is environmental science and protection technicians, including health a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for environmental science and protection technicians, including healths?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $60,380 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,090, and experienced environmental science and protection technicians, including healths can clear $99,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,964/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 44.9% 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health 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 environmental science and protection technicians, including health salary is worth about $58,287 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do environmental science and protection technicians, including healths 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.