How much do Recreation Workers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Percentile spread

For Recreation Workers, the published 10th percentile is $31,200 and the 90th percentile is $48,130. The difference is $16,930, which is 47.3% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $32,810 to the 75th at $41,600, covers $8,790.

The mean annual wage is $38,300, which sits above the median of $35,830. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is 2% lower than the national median of $36,560 for Recreation Workers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $34,587, which is 5.4% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 1% higher than the Illinois median of $35,480.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Illinois, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 103.595, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $35,830 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Recreation Workers at $34,587 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

38 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Recreation Workers. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ranks 11th of 39 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Kankakee, IL is 43 miles away, with a median of $36,270 and employment of 90. That median is 1.2% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $37,627, against $34,587 here.
• Niles, MI is 57 miles away, with a median of $33,140 and employment of 160. That median is 7.5% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $35,877, against $34,587 here.
• Kenosha, WI is 57 miles away, with a median of $38,620 and employment of 140. That median is 7.8% higher than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $38,193, against $34,587 here.

Employment share

Recreation Workers accounts for 0.30% of wage-and-salary employment in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (13,670 of 4,513,280). Nationally the occupation is 0.21% of employment (331,490 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.42 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.