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$183 a Day Mining Bitcoin in Chicago — More Than Minimum Wage, No Job Required

#btc#minining-rig

Peter Bieda

Author

Making more than min wage in Chicago

Mining Bitcoin in Chicago isn’t supposed to work. High electricity costs, cold winters, and expensive rent make it one of the least crypto-friendly cities in the U.S. But in November 2021, with the right electrical setup and disciplined tuning, a GPU mining operation could still outperform the city’s minimum wage.

At the time, the operation ran on NiceHash with 18 GPUs, including:

  • 6 × RTX 3080
  • 5 × RTX 3090
  • Additional RTX 3060s

Daily output averaged ~0.00486720 BTC per 24 hours, resulting in approximately $183 per day in net profit after all expenses.

This wasn’t about flexing gross revenue. It was about minimum weight—the equivalent of beating the local wage floor without clocking in.

$183/Day VS $120/Day Chicago Wage (Nov 2021)

In November 2021, the Chicago minimum wage was:

  • $15/hour (large employers)

That works out to:

  • $120/day gross (8-hour shift)
  • ~$2,600/month gross
  • ~$2,000–$2,100 take-home after taxes

By comparison, the mining operation produced:

  • $183/day net
  • ~$5,490/month
  • No commute, no boss, no schedule

That put the rig well above Chicago minimum wage, even after paying one of the highest electricity bills in the Midwest.

BTC Mining Rig in Chicago

Key Factors That Made It Possible

1. 110V → 220V Conversion
Switching to 220V improved efficiency, reduced heat, and lowered power loss—critical when running power-hungry RTX 3080s and 3090s.

2. Electricity Costs
Monthly electric bills averaged $800+, fully covered by daily mining revenue.

3. Efficiency Over Max Hashrate
All GPUs were undervolted and power-limited. The goal wasn’t peak numbers—it was stable, predictable cash flow.

4. NiceHash BTC Payouts
NiceHash allowed algorithm flexibility while paying directly in BTC, simplifying accumulation.

Bottom Line (2021 Reality)

In November 2021, minimum wage in Chicago was $15/hour—barely enough to stay afloat. A properly tuned GPU mining rig, even with high power costs, could generate the equivalent of well above minimum wage, without trading time for dollars.

Mining Rig
Nicehash