Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Salary in Chicago, IL (2024)
Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median of $36,520 per year ($17.56 per hour) based on 19,800 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +5.4% against the national median of $34,660 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where maids and housekeeping cleaners actually sit across the pay range in Chicago, IL, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.39 | $32,010 | |
| 25th percentile | $16.53 | $34,390 | |
| Median | $17.56 | $36,520 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $21.71 | $45,150 | |
| 90th percentile | $24.71 | $51,390 | |
| Average (mean) | $19.33 | $40,210 |
How Chicago, IL compares
The local median of $36,520 runs +5.4% above the US median of $34,660 for this occupation; it pays 29.1% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,510); within the metro it ranks 648th of 700 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL — this occupation | $36,520 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $34,660 | +5.4% |
| Chicago, IL — all occupations | $51,510 | -29.1% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $45,670 | -20.0% |
A location quotient of 0.80 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.1%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 648th of 700 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Chicago, IL
To put $36,520 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 648th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $234,440 | 1,420 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $221,790 | 80 |
| Physicians, All Other | $215,680 | 14,850 |
| Pediatricians, General | $198,440 | 1,120 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $184,930 | 840 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $182,830 | 1,200 |
| Dentists, General | $175,140 | 3,980 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $168,230 | 21,760 |
| Lawyers | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| Financial Managers | $164,470 | 41,170 |
Where maids and housekeeping cleaners earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $30,010 to $45,670. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $45,670 | 13,510 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $43,090 | 42,610 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $42,860 | 9,390 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $41,600 | 34,320 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $38,920 | 9,940 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $38,850 | 11,050 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38,230 | 5,930 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,010 | 10,020 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $37,950 | 7,220 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $37,640 | 7,160 |
See the full national picture on the Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for maids and housekeeping cleaners in Chicago, IL?
The median annual wage is $36,520, or $18 per hour. That means half of the maids and housekeeping cleaners working in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $40,210.
What do the highest and lowest paid maids and housekeeping cleaners in Chicago, IL earn?
The bottom 10% earn $32,010 or less, while the top 10% earn $51,390 or more — a spread of $19,380 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $34,390 and $45,150.
Is maids and housekeeping cleaners pay in Chicago, IL above the local average?
Yes, it is 29.1% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Chicago, IL pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $36,520 the metro median is 5.4% higher than the US median of $34,660 for maids and housekeeping cleaners. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $30,010 to $45,670.
How many maids and housekeeping cleaners work in Chicago, IL?
BLS counts about 19,800 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.43 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. A location quotient of 0.80 sits slightly below the national average, meaning the occupation accounts for a smaller share of local employment than it does across the US.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 3.1%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.