Senior Database Administrator salary in Chicago, IL
Based on 73 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Naperville, Schaumburg, Aurora, Deerfield, Lisle.
Also listed as: DBA
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $110,968 |
| 25th | $117,000 |
| 50th (median) | $136,800 |
| 75th | $166,424 |
| 90th | $195,963 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $98,363 | $97,011 | $112,500 | 39 |
| FY2021 | $100,000 | $98,372 | $111,808 | 42 |
| FY2022 | $106,000 | $99,757 | $125,448 | 42 |
| FY2023 | $127,500 | $111,073 | $156,755 | 34 |
| FY2024 | $125,588 | $111,966 | $176,973 | 44 |
| FY2025 | $135,000 | $115,485 | $158,625 | 45 |
| FY2026 | $139,622 | $122,400 | $174,637 | 28 |
Cost of living
Chicago's median senior Database Administrator salary of $136,800 is worth about $132,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Database Administrators in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $109,680 in May 2025 (1,870 employed). The H-1B median here is $136,800, 25% higher.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| EY | $178,339 | 21 |
| Elevance Health | too few | 6 |
| Medline Industries | too few | 4 |
| Envoy Global | too few | 3 |
| too few | 2 | |
| IBM | too few | 2 |
| Optum | too few | 2 |
| Maplebear | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $75,649 | 58 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $100,000 | 219 |
| Senior · Level III | $136,800 | 73 |
| Expert · Level IV | $144,580 | 69 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $59,405 | $75,649 | 58 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $85,176 | $100,000 | 219 |
| Senior · Level III | $110,178 | $136,800 | 73 |
| Expert · Level IV | $136,739 | $144,580 | 69 |
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.