Flight Attendants Salary
Flight Attendants in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $62,120 a year. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $59,967 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 43.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K 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 flight attendants
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Flight attendants pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $64K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 43.7% 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level flight attendants (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $59K spread from bottom to top.
Flight Attendants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Flight Attendants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $127K | +99% | 12,060 |
| Utah | $83K | +30% | 2,490 |
| California | $82K | +29% | 15,840 |
| Georgia | $78K | +23% | N/A |
| Connecticut | $78K | +23% | 250 |
| Washington | $74K | +17% | N/A |
| Michigan | $62K | -2% | N/A |
| Ohio | $62K | -2% | 990 |
| Idaho | $62K | -2% | N/A |
| Illinois | $62K | -2% | 9,350 |
| Arizona | $62K | -3% | 4,590 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | -3% | 4,390 |
| Oregon | $61K | -3% | 980 |
| Minnesota | $61K | -4% | 4,050 |
| Colorado | $60K | -6% | 7,110 |
| Texas | $58K | -8% | 13,470 |
| Nevada | $52K | -19% | 4,040 |
| Florida | $47K | -26% | 13,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -38% | 2,290 |
Showing 1–10 of 19 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track flight attendants 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 flight attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 43.7% 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 flight attendants in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new flight attendants typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,402/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 74% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is flight attendant a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $64K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for flight attendants?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do flight attendants make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $62,120 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,040, and experienced flight attendants can clear $98,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,073/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 43.7% 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 flight attendants 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 flight attendants salary is worth about $59,967 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do flight attendants 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.