Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · CBSA 16980
Civil Engineer Salary in Chicago
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for civil 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.
Civil Engineers in Chicago earn a median of $100,280 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $81,400–$129,060; the top 10% earn $160,840. That is 1% above the national median and 3% above the Illinois median. BLS reports 8,870 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$100,280
+1% vs national
Top 10% earn
$160,840
90th percentile
Employed in metro
8,870
Reliability Good (6.8% RSE)
Civil 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 | $73,090 | +11% |
| 25th percentile | $81,400 | +3% |
| Median50th percentile | $100,280 | +1% |
| 75th percentile | $129,060 | +1% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $160,840 | — |
| Meanaverage | $107,650 | +1% |
How concentrated civil 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
0.86
Jobs per 1,000
1.98
Metro rank (pay)
#78 of 373
All engineering roles
$118,040
Chicago employs civil engineers at close to the national rate (location quotient 0.86).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a civil engineer make in Chicago?
Does Chicago pay more than the rest of Illinois?
Where does Chicago rank nationally for civil engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2051 (Civil 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 →