Entry-level Engineering Director salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 18 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Waukegan, Oak Brook, Warrenville, Schaumburg, Oakbrook Terrace.

Also listed as: Architectural and Engineering Manager, Manager Hardware Engineering

Median salary$130,849
Middle 50%$120.5k–$166.3k
vs. all levels here−21%comparison median $164,966
Filings18FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $116,179 and $181,065.
PercentileSalary
10th$116,971
25th$120,500
50th (median)$130,849
75th$166,250
90th$168,600

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $115k $140k FY2020: median $100,774 (10 filings) FY2024: median $117,187 (10 filings) FY2025: median $132,500 (10 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 10 filings FY20 FY2021: 7 filings FY21 FY2022: 9 filings FY22 FY2023: 7 filings FY23 FY2024: 10 filings FY24 FY2025: 10 filings FY25 FY2026: 8 filings FY26 10
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$100,774$96,387$104,00010
FY2021–––7
FY2022–––9
FY2023–––7
FY2024$117,187$117,187$122,29710
FY2025$132,500$122,055$166,25010
FY2026–––8

Cost of living

Chicago's median entry-level Engineering Director salary of $130,849 is worth about $126,300 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Architectural and Engineering Managers in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $163,430 in May 2025 (6,670 employed). The H-1B median here is $130,849, 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
NVIDIAtoo few3
Ellison Technologiestoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $130,849 18
Mid-level · Level II $141,612 22
Senior · Level III $168,405 25
Expert · Level IV $188,000 21

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$116,126$130,84918
Mid-level · Level II$138,528$141,61222
Senior · Level III$160,930$168,40525
Expert · Level IV$183,331$188,00021

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.