Illinois · SOC 17-2131
Materials Engineer Salary in Illinois
VerifiedPublished wages for materials engineers in Illinois, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Materials Engineers in Illinois earn a median of $105,980 per year ($110,480 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $78,410–$129,630; the top 10% earn $173,990. That is 2% below the national median of $108,310, ranking Illinois #19 of 46 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$105,980
-2% vs national
Top 10% earn
$173,990
90th percentile
Employed in state
180
Reliability Moderate (12.4% RSE)
Materials Engineer pay distribution — Illinois vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $67,040 | -1% |
| 25th percentile | $78,410 | -9% |
| Median50th percentile | $105,980 | -2% |
| 75th percentile | $129,630 | -6% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $173,990 | +1% |
| Meanaverage | $110,480 | -5% |
Where materials engineers earn most in Illinois
Metro areas in Illinois where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2131. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| DavenportDavenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $112,360 | $161,000 | 40 |
| St. LouisSt. Louis, MO-IL | $100,480 | $163,720 | 150 |
| ChicagoChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $97,760 | $167,500 | 180 |
Illinois engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
0.20
Jobs per 1,000
0.03
State rank (pay)
#19 of 46
All engineering roles
$114,895
A location quotient of 0.20 means materials engineers are less concentrated here than the national average, so openings are thinner even where pay is competitive.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a materials engineer make in Illinois?
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2131 (Materials Engineers), Illinois (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →