Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · CBSA 16980
Electrical Engineer Salary in Chicago
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for electrical 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.
Electrical Engineers in Chicago earn a median of $109,010 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $87,510–$139,880; the top 10% earn $168,580. That is 3% below the national median and 5% above the Illinois median. BLS reports 4,340 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$109,010
-3% vs national
Top 10% earn
$168,580
90th percentile
Employed in metro
4,340
Reliability Good (6.1% RSE)
Electrical 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 | $76,070 | +2% |
| 25th percentile | $87,510 | — |
| Median50th percentile | $109,010 | -3% |
| 75th percentile | $139,880 | -1% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $168,580 | -4% |
| Meanaverage | $118,690 | -2% |
How concentrated electrical 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
0.79
Jobs per 1,000
0.97
Metro rank (pay)
#111 of 318
All engineering roles
$118,040
Chicago employs electrical engineers at close to the national rate (location quotient 0.79).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a electrical engineer make in Chicago?
Does Chicago pay more than the rest of Illinois?
Where does Chicago rank nationally for electrical engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2071 (Electrical 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 →