Entry-level Materials Scientist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 28 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Lemont, Evanston, Skokie, North Chicago, East Chicago.

Also listed as: Research Associate Materials Science

Median salary$66,265
Middle 50%$62.3k–$71.8k
vs. all levels here−21%comparison median $84,094
Filings28FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $54,810 and $93,642.
PercentileSalary
10th$61,008
25th$62,250
50th (median)$66,265
75th$71,819
90th$83,667

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $65k $80k FY2020: median $69,270 (10 filings) FY2021: median $61,372 (16 filings) FY2022: median $63,627 (11 filings) FY2023: median $63,000 (13 filings) FY2024: median $66,828 (16 filings) FY2025: median $70,758 (15 filings) FY2026: median $63,120 (13 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 10 filings FY20 FY2021: 16 filings FY21 FY2022: 11 filings FY22 FY2023: 13 filings FY23 FY2024: 16 filings FY24 FY2025: 15 filings FY25 FY2026: 13 filings FY26 16
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$69,270$56,506$71,35410
FY2021$61,372$61,135$66,45016
FY2022$63,627$63,627$66,46211
FY2023$63,000$62,941$63,62713
FY2024$66,828$61,077$68,77816
FY2025$70,758$65,559$76,82415
FY2026$63,120$61,008$66,94813

Cost of living

Chicago's median entry-level Materials Scientist salary of $66,265 is worth about $64,000 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Materials Scientists in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $133,340 in May 2025 (460 employed). The H-1B median here is $66,265, 50% 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
Northwestern University$62,99014
UChicago Argonnetoo few7
University of Illinois Chicagotoo few3

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $66,265 28
Mid-level · Level II $101,899 15
Senior · Level III $109,922 13
Expert · Level IV too few 2

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$51,750$66,26528
Mid-level · Level II$106,371$101,89915
Senior · Level III$83,366$109,92213

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.