Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · CBSA 16980
Mechanical Engineer Salary in Chicago
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for mechanical 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.
Mechanical Engineers in Chicago earn a median of $100,390 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $81,600–$127,210; the top 10% earn $150,430. That is 2% below the national median and 1% above the Illinois median. BLS reports 6,050 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$100,390
-2% vs national
Top 10% earn
$150,430
90th percentile
Employed in metro
6,050
Reliability Good (6.2% RSE)
Mechanical 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 | $67,490 | -2% |
| 25th percentile | $81,600 | — |
| Median50th percentile | $100,390 | -2% |
| 75th percentile | $127,210 | -2% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $150,430 | -7% |
| Meanaverage | $107,040 | -3% |
How concentrated mechanical 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
0.73
Jobs per 1,000
1.35
Metro rank (pay)
#124 of 342
All engineering roles
$118,040
Chicago employs mechanical engineers at close to the national rate (location quotient 0.73).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a mechanical engineer make in Chicago?
Does Chicago pay more than the rest of Illinois?
Where does Chicago rank nationally for mechanical engineers?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2141 (Mechanical 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 →