Environmental Engineer salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 30 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Lemont, Oak Brook, Itasca, Lombard, Naperville.

Median salary$109,717
Middle 50%$94.6k–$117.5k
vs. national median+12%comparison median $98,373
Filings30FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $70,758 and $173,936.
PercentileSalary
10th$88,345
25th$94,571
50th (median)$109,717
75th$117,478
90th$135,146

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $95k $130k FY2020: median $77,311 (14 filings) FY2021: median $81,152 (14 filings) FY2022: median $83,512 (23 filings) FY2023: median $89,544 (21 filings) FY2025: median $102,421 (18 filings) FY2026: median $118,757 (12 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 14 filings FY20 FY2021: 14 filings FY21 FY2022: 23 filings FY22 FY2023: 21 filings FY23 FY2024: 8 filings FY24 FY2025: 18 filings FY25 FY2026: 12 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$77,311$65,458$96,75014
FY2021$81,152$66,000$88,37814
FY2022$83,512$80,280$91,32223
FY2023$89,544$82,451$99,00021
FY2024–––8
FY2025$102,421$90,739$109,92218
FY2026$118,757$110,938$127,32512

Cost of living

Chicago's median Environmental Engineer salary of $109,717 is worth about $105,900 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Environmental Engineers in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $110,700 in May 2025 (660 employed). The H-1B median here is $109,717, 1% lower.

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

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
UChicago Argonne$94,48615
Geosyntec Consultantstoo few4

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 3
Mid-level · Level II too few 5
Senior · Level III $115,625 12
Expert · Level IV too few 3

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Senior · Level III$92,768$115,62512

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.