Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners Salary
The median pay for a musical instrument repairers and tuners in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $58,170/year ($27.97/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $56,154 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 46.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $58K 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 musical instrument repairers and tuners
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin sits well above the national pay line for musical instrument repairers and tuners, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 46.6% 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. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for musical instrument repairers and tuners in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $47K | $51K |
| St. Louis | $48K | $50K |
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 musical instrument repairers and tuners (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $56K spread from bottom to top.
Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Musical Instrument Repairers and Tuners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $60K | +28% | 210 |
| Tennessee | $59K | +27% | 300 |
| New Jersey | $59K | +27% | 200 |
| Maryland | $55K | +19% | 160 |
| Oregon | $55K | +18% | 40 |
| New York | $53K | +15% | 270 |
| Connecticut | $53K | +14% | 40 |
| Utah | $50K | +8% | 60 |
| Illinois | $49K | +6% | 200 |
| Maine | $49K | +5% | 90 |
| Texas | $48K | +4% | 580 |
| California | $48K | +2% | 520 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +2% | 240 |
| Missouri | $47K | +2% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +1% | 130 |
| North Dakota | $47K | +1% | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +0% | 180 |
| Virginia | $45K | -3% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -3% | 90 |
| Minnesota | $44K | -5% | 100 |
| Florida | $44K | -5% | 140 |
| Kansas | $44K | -6% | 80 |
| Colorado | $44K | -6% | 70 |
| Washington | $43K | -7% | 150 |
| North Carolina | $43K | -7% | N/A |
| Ohio | $40K | -14% | 230 |
| West Virginia | $39K | -16% | 30 |
| Iowa | $39K | -17% | 90 |
| Nevada | $39K | -17% | 90 |
| Indiana | $38K | -17% | 150 |
| Arizona | $38K | -18% | 110 |
| Oklahoma | $31K | -33% | 60 |
| Georgia | $30K | -36% | 100 |
| Mississippi | $24K | -48% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 34 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track musical instrument repairers and tuners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a musical instrument repairers and tuner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 46.6% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for musical instrument repairers and tuners in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new musical instrument repairers and tuners typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,081/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 86% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is musical instrument repairers and tuner a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $58K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for musical instrument repairers and tuners?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do musical instrument repairers and tuners make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $58,170 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,690, and experienced musical instrument repairers and tuners can clear $90,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,825/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 46.6% 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 musical instrument repairers and tuners 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 musical instrument repairers and tuners salary is worth about $56,154 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do musical instrument repairers and tuners 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.