How much does a CDL-A job in Illinois really pay, and how much of it do you keep? We pulled the numbers from our own job database and ran them through 2026 tax rates.
What Illinois CDL-A jobs pay right now
In our database there are 58 open CDL-A jobs that hire drivers in Illinois, and 49 of them list an average pay figure from the carrier.
| Weekly pay (carrier-reported average) | |
|---|---|
| Middle of the pack (median) | $1,400 |
| Lower quarter of jobs | $1,200 or less |
| Top quarter of jobs | $1,540 or more |
Other numbers worth knowing:
- 8 of these jobs get you home daily, 19 home weekly.
- 2 are local and 19 are dedicated.
- 23 accept brand-new CDL-A drivers.
Why Illinois is different
Chicago is the biggest rail hub in North America, so a lot of Illinois jobs are intermodal and dedicated: containers to and from the rail yards, short runs, home every night. Around Joliet and along I-80 and I-55 you also find big warehouse and distribution jobs. The catch: Chicago traffic. Ask every carrier how many loads a day are realistic in city traffic, because that decides your real pay on mileage and per-load jobs.
What you keep after taxes
Take a driver in Illinois at the median: about $1,400 a week, 50 working weeks, so about $70,000 a year as a W-2 company driver, single, standard deduction.
| Per year | |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $70,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$6,570 |
| Illinois state income tax | −$3,320 |
| Social Security + Medicare | −$5,355 |
| Take-home | $54,755 (about $1,095 a week) |
Illinois tax in short: a flat 4.95% state income tax with a personal exemption of $2,925. There is no city wage tax in Chicago. Indiana drivers who work Illinois jobs from Gary or Hammond usually pay tax to Indiana, where they live, under the two states' reciprocity agreement; check with your tax preparer.
For comparison, the same paycheck in Texas (no state income tax) would leave about $3,320 more a year. Want to run your own numbers, or compare two offers after taxes? Use our free pay calculator: pick your state and it shows the take-home for both offers, including 1099 jobs.
These are estimates for a single filer with no other income, before health insurance, 401(k) and local taxes. Your real numbers depend on your situation; this is not tax advice.
Where the jobs are
Browse open Illinois jobs by metro: Chicago, or see all Illinois CDL-A jobs.
Sources: pay figures are carrier-reported averages from our job database (October 2026); federal brackets and standard deduction from the IRS 2026 inflation adjustments; state rates from the Tax Foundation's 2026 state income tax table; Social Security wage base from the SSA.
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