Senior Network Administrator salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 79 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Schaumburg, Naperville, Aurora, Northbrook, Waukegan.

Also listed as: Systems Administrator

Median salary$103,334
Middle 50%$103.3k–$112.3k
vs. all levels here+19%comparison median $87,000
Filings79FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $98,280 and $174,230.
PercentileSalary
10th$98,280
25th$103,334
50th (median)$103,334
75th$112,250
90th$135,585

Salary by year

Median salary

$80k $95k $110k FY2020: median $89,000 (45 filings) FY2021: median $91,728 (25 filings) FY2022: median $91,333 (32 filings) FY2023: median $95,493 (24 filings) FY2024: median $98,280 (37 filings) FY2025: median $103,770 (46 filings) FY2026: median $103,334 (33 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 45 filings FY20 FY2021: 25 filings FY21 FY2022: 32 filings FY22 FY2023: 24 filings FY23 FY2024: 37 filings FY24 FY2025: 46 filings FY25 FY2026: 33 filings FY26 46
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$89,000$87,901$94,00045
FY2021$91,728$89,000$101,75025
FY2022$91,333$90,953$98,77532
FY2023$95,493$95,493$102,31124
FY2024$98,280$93,400$120,00037
FY2025$103,770$99,585$112,77146
FY2026$103,334$103,334$104,00033

Cost of living

Chicago's median senior Network Administrator salary of $103,334 is worth about $99,700 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Network and Computer Systems Administrators in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $103,170 in May 2025 (6,950 employed). The H-1B median here is $103,334, 0% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Cognizant$103,33419
Medline Industriestoo few8
Cisco Systemstoo few6
Bectrantoo few4
HCLTechtoo few2
FedExtoo few2
HSBC Technology & Services (USA)too few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $69,638 44
Mid-level · Level II $86,486 185
Senior · Level III $103,334 79
Expert · Level IV $128,100 53

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$69,638$69,63844
Mid-level · Level II$82,659$86,486185
Senior · Level III$103,334$103,33479
Expert · Level IV$120,182$128,10053

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.