Entry-level Occupational Therapist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 382 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Chicago,, Joliet,, Niles, Northbrook, Skokie.

Median salary$71,968
Middle 50%$72k–$72.1k
vs. all levels here+0%comparison median $71,968
Filings382FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $71,968 and $72,114.
PercentileSalary
10th$71,968
25th$71,968
50th (median)$71,968
75th$72,114
90th$72,114

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2023: median $60,840 (10 filings) FY2025: median $72,114 (121 filings) FY2026: median $71,968 (261 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 3 filings FY20 FY2021: 2 filings FY21 FY2022: 2 filings FY22 FY2023: 10 filings FY23 FY2024: 4 filings FY24 FY2025: 121 filings FY25 FY2026: 261 filings FY26 261
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–––3
FY2021–––2
FY2022–––2
FY2023$60,840$60,840$60,84010
FY2024–––4
FY2025$72,114$72,114$72,114121
FY2026$71,968$71,968$71,968261

Cost of living

Chicago's median entry-level Occupational Therapist salary of $71,968 is worth about $69,500 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Occupational Therapists in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $99,860 in May 2025 (5,960 employed). The H-1B median here is $71,968, 28% lower.

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

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Grandison Management$71,968380

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $71,968 382
Mid-level · Level II too few 2
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV – 0

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$71,968$71,968382

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.