Senior Electrical Engineer salary in Chicago, IL
Based on 55 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Oakbrook Terrace, Lisle, St. Charles, Schaumburg, Buffalo Grove.
Also listed as: Electrical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $113,027 |
| 25th | $118,498 |
| 50th (median) | $123,000 |
| 75th | $131,602 |
| 90th | $149,512 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $101,590 | $96,387 | $108,300 | 28 |
| FY2021 | $104,812 | $101,393 | $112,350 | 30 |
| FY2022 | $101,920 | $99,236 | $108,949 | 27 |
| FY2023 | $110,000 | $105,259 | $125,000 | 23 |
| FY2024 | $113,027 | $103,896 | $120,015 | 21 |
| FY2025 | $122,997 | $113,680 | $130,000 | 33 |
| FY2026 | $125,250 | $118,498 | $132,402 | 22 |
Cost of living
Chicago's median senior Electrical Engineer salary of $123,000 is worth about $118,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Electrical Engineers in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $113,520 in May 2025 (4,290 employed). The H-1B median here is $123,000, 8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Edison, An Exelon Company | too few | 5 |
| S&C Electric Company | too few | 4 |
| Briteseed | too few | 2 |
| Genfare | too few | 2 |
| Greif Packaging | too few | 2 |
| HDR Engineering | too few | 2 |
| Mitsubishi Logisnext Americas | too few | 2 |
| Molex | too few | 2 |
| Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories | too few | 2 |
| T-Mobile | 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 | $79,000 | 49 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $99,000 | 100 |
| Senior · Level III | $123,000 | 55 |
| Expert · Level IV | $140,000 | 50 |
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 | $78,749 | $79,000 | 49 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $98,613 | $99,000 | 100 |
| Senior · Level III | $118,498 | $123,000 | 55 |
| Expert · Level IV | $138,362 | $140,000 | 50 |
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.