Entry-level Construction Manager salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 23 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Lombard, Oakbrook Terrace, Skokie, Downers Grove, Dekalb.

Also listed as: Construction Project Manager

Median salary$85,000
Middle 50%$77.3k–$91.3k
vs. all levels here−19%comparison median $104,400
Filings23FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $73,299 and $118,204.
PercentileSalary
10th$74,583
25th$77,293
50th (median)$85,000
75th$91,275
90th$96,310

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $75k $100k FY2020: median $61,000 (15 filings) FY2023: median $76,000 (23 filings) FY2024: median $83,200 (15 filings) FY2025: median $83,500 (13 filings) FY2026: median $86,000 (10 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 15 filings FY20 FY2021: 7 filings FY21 FY2022: 9 filings FY22 FY2023: 23 filings FY23 FY2024: 15 filings FY24 FY2025: 13 filings FY25 FY2026: 10 filings FY26 23
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$61,000$56,000$65,57515
FY2021–––7
FY2022–––9
FY2023$76,000$72,336$85,00023
FY2024$83,200$77,500$89,33515
FY2025$83,500$77,293$90,00013
FY2026$86,000$76,328$94,72810

Cost of living

Chicago's median entry-level Construction Manager salary of $85,000 is worth about $82,100 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Construction Managers in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $117,280 in May 2025 (13,850 employed). The H-1B median here is $85,000, 28% 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
Clune Construction Companytoo few3
Griggs Mitchell & Alma of ILtoo few2
Ujamaa Constructiontoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $85,000 23
Mid-level · Level II $102,500 19
Senior · Level III $119,954 15
Expert · Level IV $149,794 10

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$77,293$85,00023
Mid-level · Level II$99,070$102,50019
Senior · Level III$119,954$119,95415
Expert · Level IV$143,291$149,79410

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.