The PayScale Index (US): Trends in Compensation

2012: Earnings for residents of this major Midwest metro experienced a gentle rise in Q1 2012, finishing just slightly above the previous quarter. But, due to considerable growth in 2011, the year-over-year change in Chicago in Q1 2012 wage levels was about 1.5 percent, bringing them ever closer to their late-2008 peak.

2007-2011: The Windy City and its surrounding areas missed out on the wage boosts enjoyed by some other areas of the country in 2007 and 2008. Chicago compensation tracked a little below national trends during this time.

Then, after Q4 2008, Chicago residents' compensation levels dropped faster than most of the rest of the country, ending 2009 about 1 percent below national trends. In 2010, wages in Chicago remained flat, followed by an up and down year in 2011 which ended with a gentle rise headed into 2012.

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The Chicago Metro Area includes people in Chicago, Ill.; Naperville, Ill.; Joliet, Ill.; Gary, Ind.; Lake County, Ill.; Kenosha County, Wis.; and the surrounding areas.

The PayScale Index tracks quarterly changes in total cash compensation for full-time, private industry employees in the United States. In addition to a national index, it includes separate indices for specific industries, metropolitan areas, job categories, and company sizes. The PayScale Index uses 2006 average total cash compensation as a baseline.

See full methodology for compensation trend reports.

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