Foresters Salary
Foresters in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $85,610 a year, or about $41.16 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $82,643 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 32.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $86K 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 foresters
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin sits well above the national pay line for foresters, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $76K. Rent runs $1,781/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. 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 foresters in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Madison | $70K | $72K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $76K | $79K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $65K | $68K |
| St. Louis | $74K | $78K |
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 foresters (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $86K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $60K spread from bottom to top.
Foresters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Foresters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $107K | +40% | 820 |
| Massachusetts | $90K | +17% | 130 |
| Alaska | $87K | +14% | 80 |
| South Carolina | $87K | +14% | 250 |
| Maryland | $86K | +13% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $85K | +11% | 60 |
| Iowa | $83K | +9% | 50 |
| Illinois | $82K | +8% | 220 |
| Oregon | $81K | +7% | 670 |
| Vermont | $81K | +6% | 80 |
| Texas | $80K | +5% | 210 |
| Alabama | $80K | +4% | 240 |
| Washington | $78K | +3% | 950 |
| Pennsylvania | $78K | +2% | 310 |
| North Carolina | $78K | +2% | N/A |
| Georgia | $77K | +1% | 370 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +0% | 390 |
| Colorado | $76K | +0% | 210 |
| Michigan | $76K | -1% | 340 |
| Utah | $75K | -2% | 40 |
| District of Columbia | $75K | -2% | N/A |
| New York | $74K | -4% | 280 |
| Ohio | $73K | -4% | 160 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -6% | 120 |
| Virginia | $72K | -6% | 340 |
| Mississippi | $71K | -7% | 110 |
| Arkansas | $69K | -9% | 130 |
| New Mexico | $69K | -9% | 50 |
| Wyoming | $68K | -11% | 60 |
| Kansas | $68K | -12% | 40 |
| Montana | $67K | -12% | 240 |
| Arizona | $67K | -12% | 70 |
| Maine | $66K | -13% | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $66K | -14% | 570 |
| New Hampshire | $65K | -15% | 110 |
| Idaho | $65K | -15% | 280 |
| South Dakota | $64K | -16% | 120 |
| Florida | $64K | -16% | 380 |
| Missouri | $63K | -17% | 120 |
| West Virginia | $63K | -18% | 100 |
| Indiana | $61K | -20% | 160 |
| Kentucky | $56K | -26% | 120 |
| Nevada | $51K | -33% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -33% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track foresters 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 forester afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $86K, rent takes 33.2% 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 $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for foresters in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new foresters typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,613/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is forester a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $86K here vs. $76K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for foresters?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $86K median vs. the U.S. average of $76K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do foresters make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $85,610 a year, that works out to about $41 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,210, and experienced foresters can clear $120,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $86K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,365/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 33.2% 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 foresters 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 foresters salary is worth about $82,643 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do foresters 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.