Human Resources · Chicago, IL
Chicago has 10,810 HR manager jobs and the highest concentration of that role among our HR metros, while hands-on trainers are thinner than average. A national Careerscape recruiter who works only on HR searches handles Chicago roles remotely, including the compensation and HRIS seats Illinois pay reporting creates.
Metro data
BLS figures for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro, which includes northwest Indiana (OEWS, May 2025, all industries). Compare each median with the U.S. column, and read the location quotient as depth: 1.0 is the national norm.
| Occupation | Jobs in metro | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Resources Specialists | 26,470 | $78,210+3% | 1.00 |
| Human Resources Managers | 10,810 | $156,770+5% | 1.69 |
| Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists | 3,500 | $79,990+2% | 1.07 |
| Training and Development Specialists | 10,940 | $67,050−3% | 0.82 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 610 | $155,340+4% | 0.91 |
| Training and Development Managers | 1,440 | $133,800+1% | 1.03 |
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 2,920 | $49,590−2% | 1.12 |
| Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks | 4,170 | $62,920+8% | 0.94 |
The standout is human resources managers: 10,810 jobs and a 1.69 location quotient, the highest HR manager concentration of the four metros on our HR pages. HR specialists sit exactly at the national norm (1.0) but earn $78,210, about 3% above the U.S. Training and development specialists (0.82) and compensation and benefits managers (0.91) are the thin spots. Jobs and median annual pay for the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, all employers, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025). “Vs. U.S.” compares with the national median. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job makes up a bigger share of local employment than it does nationally.
Reading the data
For every 1,000 jobs in the Chicago metro, BLS counts 2.395 HR managers. Nationally the share is much lower, which is what the 1.69 location quotient measures. A likely explanation is the metro's mix of head offices and regional offices, which tend to keep HR leadership, policy and total rewards work in one place.
The support layer is closer to average. HR specialists, at 26,470 jobs, match the national share. Training and development specialists are scarcer than in the U.S. and earn less ($67,050 versus $69,280), which may mean more learning work is handled by generalists or bought from outside firms. For employers, that means a director-level search here has a wide field, while a hands-on trainer or instructional designer search may not.
Pay runs moderately above the U.S. across most of the function. The median HR manager earned $156,770, about 5% over the national $149,280. Payroll and timekeeping clerks earned $62,920, about 8% above the U.S., even though the pool (0.94) is slightly thinner than average.
Illinois rule
Section 11 of the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003 (820 ILCS 112) requires private employers with 100 or more Illinois employees to obtain an Equal Pay Registration Certificate from the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and renew it every two years. The work usually lands on compensation, HRIS and payroll staff. Not legal advice.
| Item | What IDOL requires |
|---|---|
| Who files | Private employers with 100 or more employees in Illinois |
| How often | Every two years from the date of the last certificate |
| Employee data | A list covering the prior 12 months by gender and race/ethnicity, with hours worked, hourly or salaried status (and hourly rate) and collective bargaining coverage |
| 2026 updates | IDOL sent employers a notice of changes to the EPRC process in July 2026; check IDOL's current guidance before your next filing |
| Sign-off | An Equal Pay Compliance Statement signed by a corporate officer, legal counsel or authorized agent |
| Penalties | Rejection, suspension or revocation of the certificate, and civil penalties of up to $10,000 |
Indiana counties in the metro are not covered; the count is Illinois employees only. Chicago's pay-posting and paid-leave rules are covered on our Chicago staffing agency page. Source: Illinois Department of Labor, EPRC FAQs.
How it works
Careerscape has no Chicago office. Recruiters who specialize in HR handle the search by phone and video, and you see every candidate in the Employer Portal.
We agree on scope (sites, headcount supported, union or non-union workforce), reporting line, office days and a pay range set against the Chicago medians, not national ones.
With a 1.69 location quotient for HR managers, the field is wide. We narrow it to people who have done the specific work, such as an Illinois equal pay filing, a multi-state leave program or a merger integration.
Candidates are interviewed on that work before you see them. You get a short, pre-screened list with notes, not a stack of resumes.
You request interviews and leave feedback in the Employer Portal, so the pipeline stays in one place. For VP and CHRO roles we run a confidential executive search.
Roles
Direct hire, contract and contract-to-hire. National pay for linked roles is in the Salary Guide.
Advice
Based on where the metro is deep and where it is thin.
If you have 100+ Illinois employees, ask compensation and HRIS finalists whether they have prepared an EPRC submission. It is a concrete test of data and pay-equity skills.
HR manager searches here draw many qualified applicants. Write a tight job description so screening focuses on the few who match your industry and size.
Training specialists are less common than nationally (0.82). Consider a contract instructional designer for a rollout instead of waiting on a permanent hire.
Payroll clerk pay runs about 8% above the national median. A range built on national data will fall short.
The metro spans Illinois and Indiana, and the rules HR must administer differ. State the work location and any hybrid days up front.
Request talent
Share the role, location (Illinois or Indiana) and timeline, and an HR-specialist recruiter will follow up.
Looking for a job instead? Submit your resume or browse open jobs.
FAQ
Private employers with 100 or more employees in Illinois must obtain one from the Illinois Department of Labor and renew it every two years. The filing includes 12 months of employee data by gender and race/ethnicity and a compliance statement signed by an officer, counsel or authorized agent. Penalties can reach $10,000. Employers with 99 or fewer Illinois employees are not required to certify.
BLS groups directors with other human resources managers. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro, that group's median annual wage was $156,770 in May 2025, about 5% above the U.S. median of $149,280; the 75th percentile was $200,710 and the 90th was $270,150. Directors with broad scope usually land in the upper part of that range. See the HR manager Salary Guide.
Yes. Contract staffing works well for defined HR projects: an HRIS implementation, an equal pay filing, a leave backlog or a merger integration. The contractor stays on the agency's payroll for the project, and contract-to-hire is available if you may want to keep them. Careerscape recruits these roles remotely for employers across the Chicago metro.
Not overall. HR specialists match the national share of jobs, and HR managers are 69% more concentrated than nationally. The gaps are narrower: training and development specialists (location quotient 0.82) and compensation and benefits managers (0.91) are thinner than in the U.S., so those searches tend to take more outreach to passive candidates.
From an HRIS analyst to a CHRO, get a pre-screened shortlist through our human resources recruiting service.
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