Some 70 percent of City of Chicago employees earn more than six figures, according to an analysis of Illinois municipal compensation by Local Government Information Services (LGIS).
Reviewing data from the Illinois State Comptroller and Ilinois Municipal Retirement Fund, LGIS identified 22,777 City of Chicago employees who earned more than $100,000 in compensation last year out of a total workforce of 32,658. That's more than double the rate of taxpayer-funded six figure earners than at any of Illinois' 25 largest cities analyzed by LGIS.
The LGIS analysis considered salaries plus benefits and taxpayer-funded pension contributions-- approximately eleven percent of base earnings-- in calculating total compensation.
Northwest suburban Arlington Heights ranked second, with 30 percent of its employees earning more than $100,000. Springfield (28 percent), Joliet, (25 percent), Schaumburg (23 percent) and Aurora (21 percent) rounded out the top five.
Berwyn (4 percent), Waukegan and Rockford (7 percent) had the lowest rate of six figure earners of communities analyzed.
To be sure, Chicago's employee compensation more than lapped the rest of Illinois.
Combining the 24 other cities on the list would create a theoretical city of $2.096 milion-- 70 percent of Chicago's size. But it would only have 2,803 six-figure earners-- 12 percent of Chicago's total.
At $1,422, Chicago spends the most per-resident on employee compensation of Illinois' cities analyzed. Springfield ($1,164), Evanston ($1,136) and Oak Park ($1,004) also spent more than $1,000.
Oak Park, however, has the highest average city employee compensation at nearly $140,000 per year. Chicago's is $118,520.
Of the communities analyzed, ten have average salaries of more than $100,000 per year.
The median income in Chicago in 2015 was $63,163, according to the U.S. Census. In Oak Park, it was $78,895.
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Which Illinois communities have the most employees earning $100,000 or more in compensation?
LGIS ranked Illinois' 25 largest communities by their rate of $100,000 earners.
| Community | Population | Total Employees | $100K+ earners | % |
| Chicago | 2,722,000 | 32,658 | 22,777 | 70% |
| Arlington Heights | 76,024 | 437 | 131 | 30% |
| Springfield | 116,809 | 1,429 | 393 | 28% |
| Joliet | 147,928 | 893 | 223 | 25% |
| Schaumburg | 74,896 | 635 | 146 | 23% |
| Aurora | 200,456 | 1,167 | 250 | 21% |
| Mount Prospect | 54,951 | 389 | 83 | 21% |
| Des Plaines | 58,247 | 373 | 74 | 20% |
| Elgin | 111,117 | 904 | 178 | 20% |
| Naperville | 146,128 | 1,222 | 239 | 20% |
| Champaign | 84,513 | 582 | 109 | 19% |
| Palatine | 69,387 | 377 | 68 | 18% |
| Bolingbrook | 74,180 | 318 | 52 | 16% |
| Wheaton | 53,644 | 283 | 46 | 16% |
| Hoffman Estates | 52,347 | 463 | 73 | 16% |
| Evanston | 75,658 | 1,408 | 207 | 15% |
| Skokie | 65,112 | 583 | 79 | 14% |
| Oak Lawn | 57,034 | 389 | 51 | 13% |
| Oak Park | 52,008 | 375 | 46 | 12% |
| Tinley Park | 57,280 | 423 | 50 | 12% |
| Peoria | 115,828 | 793 | 85 | 11% |
| Orland Park | 58,666 | 1,057 | 92 | 9% |
| Waukegan | 88,915 | 462 | 32 | 7% |
| Rockford | 149,123 | 1,066 | 72 | 7% |
| Berwyn | 56,693 | 550 | 24 | 4% |
Source: Illinois State Comptroller; Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund
Which Illinois cities spend the most on employee compensation?
LGIS ranked Illinois' 25 largest communities their total employee compensation per capita.
| Community | Pop. | Total Employee Compensation | Per Person |
| Chicago | 2,722,000 | $3,870,624,628 | $1,421.98 |
| Springfield | 116,809 | $135,939,611 | $1,163.78 |
| Evanston | 75,658 | $85,967,675 | $1,136.27 |
| Oak Park | 52,008 | $52,227,629 | $1,004.22 |
| Schaumburg | 74,896 | $60,192,685 | $803.68 |
| Skokie | 65,112 | $50,878,481 | $781.40 |
| Naperville | 146,128 | $113,329,441 | $775.55 |
| Des Plaines | 58,247 | $43,921,453 | $754.06 |
| Hoffman Estates | 52,347 | $39,317,420 | $751.09 |
| Elgin | 111,117 | $82,419,261 | $741.73 |
| Joliet | 147,928 | $108,760,470 | $735.23 |
| Arlington Heights | 76,024 | $55,527,589 | $730.40 |
| Peoria | 115,828 | $81,160,119 | $700.70 |
| Berwyn | 56,693 | $38,085,213 | $671.78 |
| Rockford | 149,123 | $98,555,839 | $660.90 |
| Mount Prospect | 54,951 | $34,629,174 | $630.18 |
| Aurora | 200,456 | $125,411,469 | $625.63 |
| Orland Park | 58,666 | $36,127,556 | $615.82 |
| Palatine | 69,387 | $40,449,178 | $582.95 |
| Oak Lawn | 57,034 | $32,507,690 | $569.97 |
| Champaign | 84,513 | $47,773,749 | $565.28 |
| Waukegan | 88,915 | $50,215,186 | $564.75 |
| Wheaton | 53,644 | $27,672,553 | $515.86 |
| Tinley Park | 57,280 | $28,821,514 | $503.17 |
| Bolingbrook | 74,180 | $35,778,861 | $482.32 |
Source: Illinois State Comptroller; Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund
Which Illinois taxpayers pay the highest salaries to city workers?
LGIS ranked Illinois' 25 largest communities by average public employee compensation.
| Community | Pop. | Avg. Employee Compensation |
| Oak Park | 52,008 | $139,273.68 |
| Arlington Heights | 76,024 | $127,065.42 |
| Joliet | 147,928 | $121,792.24 |
| Chicago | 2,722,000 | $118,519.95 |
| Des Plaines | 58,247 | $117,751.88 |
| Bolingbrook | 74,180 | $112,512.14 |
| Waukegan | 88,915 | $108,690.88 |
| Aurora | 200,456 | $107,464.84 |
| Palatine | 69,387 | $107,292.25 |
| Peoria | 115,828 | $102,345.67 |
| Wheaton | 53,644 | $97,782.87 |
| Springfield | 116,809 | $95,129.19 |
| Schaumburg | 74,896 | $94,791.63 |
| Naperville | 146,128 | $92,740.95 |
| Rockford | 149,123 | $92,453.88 |
| Elgin | 111,117 | $91,171.75 |
| Mount Prospect | 54,951 | $89,021.01 |
| Skokie | 65,112 | $87,270.12 |
| Hoffman Estates | 52,347 | $84,918.83 |
| Oak Lawn | 57,034 | $83,567.33 |
| Champaign | 84,513 | $82,085.48 |
| Berwyn | 56,693 | $69,245.84 |
| Tinley Park | 57,280 | $68,135.97 |
| Evanston | 75,658 | $61,056.59 |
| Orland Park | 58,666 | $34,179.33 |
Source: Illinois State Comptroller; Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund
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