Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · CBSA 16980
Aerospace Engineer Salary in Chicago
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for aerospace engineers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against Illinois and the national benchmark.
Aerospace Engineers in Chicago earn a median of $125,520 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $101,030–$175,940; the top 10% earn $195,750. That is 7% below the national median and 2% above the Illinois median. BLS reports 200 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$125,520
-7% vs national
Top 10% earn
$195,750
90th percentile
Employed in metro
200
Reliability Low (31.4% RSE)
Aerospace Engineer pay — Chicago vs Illinois vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $81,400 | -5% |
| 25th percentile | $101,030 | -4% |
| Median50th percentile | $125,520 | -7% |
| 75th percentile | $175,940 | +1% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $195,750 | -5% |
| Meanaverage | $148,660 | +5% |
How concentrated aerospace engineers are in Chicago
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
0.10
Jobs per 1,000
0.05
Metro rank (pay)
#54 of 83
All engineering roles
$118,040
At a location quotient of 0.10, this occupation is thinner on the ground in Chicago than nationally. Pay can still be competitive, but the local employer pool is smaller.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a aerospace engineer make in Chicago?
Does Chicago pay more than the rest of Illinois?
Where does Chicago rank nationally for aerospace engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2011 (Aerospace Engineers), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →