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Transportation Planners Salary in Chicago, IL

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Transportation Planners in Chicago, IL have a median annual salary of $104,550, with 490 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $68,310 at the 10th percentile to $133,490 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$104,550

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$50.26

Employment

490

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$68,310
10th
$88,150
25th
$104,550
Median
$112,280
75th
$133,490
90th

Local compared with national

Chicago, IL

$104,550

Median annual · 2025

United States

$101,110

Median annual · 2025

The Chicago, IL median is 3.4% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $3,440).

Top skills

  1. 1.Reading ComprehensionImportance 4.0
  2. 2.Active ListeningImportance 4.0
  3. 3.WritingImportance 4.0
  4. 4.SpeakingImportance 4.0
  5. 5.Critical ThinkingImportance 4.0
  6. 6.Complex Problem SolvingImportance 4.0
  7. 7.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.9
  8. 8.Active LearningImportance 3.8
  9. 9.Systems EvaluationImportance 3.8
  10. 10.CoordinationImportance 3.6
  11. 11.Systems AnalysisImportance 3.5
  12. 12.MathematicsImportance 3.4

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Job zone
4

Technology used

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Bentley MicroStation
  • Caliper TransCAD
  • Citilabs Cube
  • Crash Mapping Analysis Tool CMAT
  • Dowling Associates TRAFFIX
  • ESRI ArcGIS software
  • ESRI ArcView
  • Geographic information system GIS software
  • Geographic information system GIS systems

Common tasks

  • Evaluate transportation project needs or costs.
  • Analyze information from traffic counting programs.
  • Define regional or local transportation planning problems or priorities.
  • Participate in public meetings or hearings to explain planning proposals, to gather feedback from those affected by projects, or to achieve consensus on project designs.
  • Prepare reports or recommendations on transportation planning.
  • Collaborate with engineers to research, analyze, or resolve complex transportation design issues.
  • Recommend transportation system improvements or projects, based on economic, population, land-use, or traffic projections.
  • Develop computer models to address transportation planning issues.
  • Analyze information related to transportation, such as land use policies, environmental impact of projects, or long-range planning needs.
  • Interpret data from traffic modeling software, geographic information systems, or associated databases.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Transportation Planners salary in other locations

Other occupations in Chicago, IL