HR Specialist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 43 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Naperville, Hoffman Estates, Roselle, Hodgkins, Elk Grove Village.

Also listed as: Recruiter

Median salary$70,000
Middle 50%$52.4k–$99.5k
vs. national median−13%comparison median $80,000
Filings43FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $49,109 and $248,000.
PercentileSalary
10th$49,109
25th$52,350
50th (median)$70,000
75th$99,525
90th$167,328

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2020: median $63,000 (17 filings) FY2021: median $69,384 (14 filings) FY2022: median $66,000 (33 filings) FY2023: median $70,000 (19 filings) FY2024: median $60,000 (33 filings) FY2025: median $57,034 (21 filings) FY2026: median $73,500 (22 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 17 filings FY20 FY2021: 14 filings FY21 FY2022: 33 filings FY22 FY2023: 19 filings FY23 FY2024: 33 filings FY24 FY2025: 21 filings FY25 FY2026: 22 filings FY26 33
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$63,000$50,700$75,00017
FY2021$69,384$55,450$79,34214
FY2022$66,000$55,000$117,81033
FY2023$70,000$56,500$112,67019
FY2024$60,000$46,051$112,50533
FY2025$57,034$49,109$75,00021
FY2026$73,500$65,391$114,40322

Cost of living

Chicago's median HR Specialist salary of $70,000 is worth about $67,600 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Human Resources Specialists in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $78,210 in May 2025 (26,470 employed). The H-1B median here is $70,000, 10% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
EYtoo few8
Geval6too few3
Group One Tradingtoo few2
Max Care Home Health Servicestoo few2
Weee!too few2
Zlliustoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $51,917 15
Mid-level · Level II $67,750 14
Senior · Level III too few 4
Expert · Level IV too few 4

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$49,109$51,91715
Mid-level · Level II$65,354$67,75014

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.