Taxi Drivers Salary
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, taxi drivers earn $36,770 at the median, or about $17.68 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $44K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $35,496 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 71% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $37K 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 taxi drivers
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Pay for taxi drivers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $42K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 71.8% 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 taxi driverss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for taxi drivers in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $29K | $29K |
| Kansas City | $38K | $41K |
| La Crosse-Onalaska | $28K | $30K |
| Eau Claire | $26K | $28K |
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 taxi drivers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $44K or more, a $13K spread from bottom to top.
Taxi Drivers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Taxi Drivers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $49K | +16% | 460 |
| Nevada | $45K | +6% | 2,980 |
| Colorado | $43K | +3% | 60 |
| New York | $42K | -1% | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $42K | -1% | 80 |
| California | $39K | -7% | 3,880 |
| Missouri | $38K | -11% | 200 |
| Oregon | $37K | -12% | 240 |
| Maine | $37K | -12% | 50 |
| North Carolina | $37K | -12% | 120 |
| Maryland | $37K | -12% | 50 |
| Illinois | $37K | -13% | 190 |
| Michigan | $37K | -13% | 90 |
| Utah | $36K | -14% | 110 |
| Arizona | $36K | -14% | 950 |
| Minnesota | $36K | -15% | 150 |
| Pennsylvania | $35K | -16% | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $35K | -16% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $34K | -20% | 150 |
| Georgia | $33K | -21% | 120 |
| Virginia | $28K | -32% | 190 |
| Florida | $28K | -33% | 860 |
| Wisconsin | $28K | -34% | 880 |
| Kansas | $27K | -36% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 24 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track taxi drivers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a taxi driver afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 71.8% 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 $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for taxi drivers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new taxi drivers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 95% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is taxi driver a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $37K here vs. $42K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for taxi drivers?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $42K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do taxi drivers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $36,770 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced taxi drivers can clear $44,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,480/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 71.8% 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 taxi drivers 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 taxi drivers salary is worth about $35,496 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do taxi drivers 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.