Entry-level Biochemist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 64 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Evanston, North Chicago, Lemont, Abbott Park, Elmhurst.

Median salary$68,787
Middle 50%$63.1k–$74.3k
vs. all levels here−4%comparison median $71,554
Filings64FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $56,874 and $140,841.
PercentileSalary
10th$61,428
25th$63,138
50th (median)$68,787
75th$74,316
90th$85,776

Salary by year

Median salary

$40k $60k $80k FY2020: median $53,076 (55 filings) FY2021: median $55,298 (66 filings) FY2022: median $61,556 (46 filings) FY2023: median $61,552 (44 filings) FY2024: median $63,238 (46 filings) FY2025: median $68,787 (34 filings) FY2026: median $68,965 (30 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 55 filings FY20 FY2021: 66 filings FY21 FY2022: 46 filings FY22 FY2023: 44 filings FY23 FY2024: 46 filings FY24 FY2025: 34 filings FY25 FY2026: 30 filings FY26 66
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$53,076$50,321$59,94255
FY2021$55,298$50,484$63,90766
FY2022$61,556$54,905$70,00046
FY2023$61,552$59,717$67,37344
FY2024$63,238$59,164$70,00046
FY2025$68,787$64,215$78,83634
FY2026$68,965$62,337$71,41730

Cost of living

Chicago's median entry-level Biochemist salary of $68,787 is worth about $66,400 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Biochemists and Biophysicists in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $85,780 in May 2025 (170 employed). The H-1B median here is $68,787, 20% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Employers filing at this level

EmployerMedianFilings
Northwestern University$71,87436
The University of Chicago$63,82614
University of Illinois Chicago$64,90010
University of Chicagotoo few3

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $68,787 64
Mid-level · Level II $80,726 15
Senior · Level III too few 3
Expert · Level IV too few 2

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$59,467$68,78764
Mid-level · Level II$60,590$80,72615

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.