Annual salary
$80,018
Home › VA nurse pay › Chicago, IL (station 537)
Illinois · VA nurse locality pay · 2026
VA nurse pay scale, Chicago, IL (station 537)
The Department of Veterans Affairs pays nurses on Title 38 locality pay schedules that each medical center sets for its own labor market. These are this station's schedules as the VA publishes them, grade by step, with a calculator.
- VA station 537 sets nurse locality pay for Chicago, IL, Chicago Hts, IL, Crown Point, IN, Algonquin, IL, Brookfield, IL, Elmwood Park, IL.
- Registered nurses (RN) on this station's base schedules earn $80,018 at Nurse I, step 1 up to $228,000 at the top of the highest grade, per the VA's nurse locality pay file (effective ).
- Advanced practice registered nurses (APRN: nurse practitioners and other APRNs) earn $102,510 to $225,146.
- The station also publishes 1 specialty and supervisory schedules (operating room, critical care, managers and others), summarised in the table below.
- Data current as of 3 Sept 2026 in the VA's national nurse locality pay spreadsheet. Locality pay is already built into these rates.
Registered nurse locality pay schedule NC89, Algonquin, IL, Brookfield, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago Hts, IL and 6 more
Official sourceDocumentU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Chief Human Capital OfficerEffective
| Step \ Grade | Nurse I | Nurse II | Nurse III | Nurse IV | Nurse V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $80,018 | $102,123 | $112,333 | $165,897 | $195,355 |
| 2 | $82,418 | $105,186 | $115,702 | $170,873 | $201,215 |
| 3 | $84,818 | $108,249 | $119,071 | $175,849 | $207,075 |
| 4 | $87,218 | $111,312 | $122,440 | $180,825 | $212,935 |
| 5 | $89,618 | $114,375 | $125,809 | $185,801 | $218,795 |
| 6 | $92,018 | $117,438 | $129,178 | $190,777 | $224,655 |
| 7 | $94,418 | $120,501 | $132,547 | $195,753 | $228,000 |
| 8 | $96,818 | $123,564 | $135,916 | $200,729 | $228,000 |
| 9 | $99,218 | $126,627 | $139,285 | $205,705 | $228,000 |
| 10 | $101,618 | $129,690 | $142,654 | $210,681 | $228,000 |
| 11 | $104,018 | $132,753 | $146,023 | $215,657 | $228,000 |
| 12 | $106,418 | $135,816 | $149,392 | $220,633 | $228,000 |
| 13 | $108,818 | ||||
| 14 | $111,218 | ||||
| 15 | $113,618 | ||||
| 16 | $116,018 | ||||
| 17 | $118,418 | ||||
| 18 | $120,818 |
highest celllowest cell18 step rows x 5 grade columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Per month (12)
$6,668.17
Next 5 steps in this grade
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $82,418 | +$2,400 |
| 3 | $84,818 | +$4,800 |
| 4 | $87,218 | +$7,200 |
| 5 | $89,618 | +$9,600 |
| 6 | $92,018 | +$12,000 |
Worked example as rendered: Nurse I, step 1 = $80,018 a year, $6,668.17 a month spread over 12 months. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
Title 38 nurse locality pay schedule NC89 for VA station 537, from the VA's national nurse locality pay spreadsheet (current as of 3 Sept 2026).
Nurse I entry levels 1-3 share one rate table in the source; it is shown once.
These are basic pay rates. Locality pay is already built in; premium pay, recruitment and retention incentives are not.
Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) locality pay schedule NY14, Chicago, IL, Chicago Hts, IL, Frankfort, IL, Lincolnwood, IL and 3 more
Official sourceDocumentU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Chief Human Capital OfficerEffective
| Step \ Grade | Nurse I | Nurse II | Nurse III | Nurse IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $102,510 | $142,486 | $155,309 | $169,288 |
| 2 | $105,585 | $146,760 | $159,968 | $174,366 |
| 3 | $108,660 | $151,034 | $164,627 | $179,444 |
| 4 | $111,735 | $155,308 | $169,286 | $184,522 |
| 5 | $114,810 | $159,582 | $173,945 | $189,600 |
| 6 | $117,885 | $163,856 | $178,604 | $194,678 |
| 7 | $120,960 | $168,130 | $183,263 | $199,756 |
| 8 | $124,035 | $172,404 | $187,922 | $204,834 |
| 9 | $127,110 | $176,678 | $192,581 | $209,912 |
| 10 | $130,185 | $180,952 | $197,240 | $214,990 |
| 11 | $133,260 | $185,226 | $201,899 | $220,068 |
| 12 | $136,335 | $189,500 | $206,558 | $225,146 |
highest celllowest cell12 step rows x 4 grade columnshover or tap a cell to trace its row and column
Find my cell
Annual salary
$102,510
Per month (12)
$8,542.50
Next 5 steps in this grade
| Step | Salary | vs. selected |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $105,585 | +$3,075 |
| 3 | $108,660 | +$6,150 |
| 4 | $111,735 | +$9,225 |
| 5 | $114,810 | +$12,300 |
| 6 | $117,885 | +$15,375 |
Worked example as rendered: Nurse I, step 1 = $102,510 a year, $8,542.50 a month spread over 12 months. Monthly and daily figures are arithmetic on the published annual cell, before any supplement, stipend or deduction.
Title 38 nurse locality pay schedule NY14 for VA station 537, from the VA's national nurse locality pay spreadsheet (current as of 3 Sept 2026).
Nurse I entry levels 1-3 share one rate table in the source; it is shown once.
These are basic pay rates. Locality pay is already built in; premium pay, recruitment and retention incentives are not.
Specialty and supervisory schedules
Step 1 of each grade and the highest cell on each schedule. Each is a separate locality pay schedule, set by the station alongside the base RN schedule.
| Schedule | Nurse I step 1 | Nurse II step 1 | Nurse III step 1 | Top cell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RN, Shift Supervisor NC92 · Chicago, IL | $80,843 | $108,341 | $119,171 | $158,496 |
Questions people ask
How much does the VA pay registered nurses in Chicago, IL?
On station 537's base RN schedule, from $80,018 (Nurse I, step 1) to $228,000 at the top of the highest grade, effective January 11, 2026. The grade and step are set at hiring from education and experience under the VA's nurse qualification standard.
How much does the VA pay nurse practitioners in Chicago, IL?
$102,510 to $225,146 on the station's advanced practice RN schedules.
Other VA stations in Illinois
All stations: VA nurse pay by location. Federal General Schedule and locality tables: federal pay.