Mid-level Physicist salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 45 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Batavia, Lemont, Evanston, Park Ridge, Downers Grove.

Also listed as: Medical Physicist, Assistant Physicist

Median salary$99,362
Middle 50%$85.3k–$99.4k
vs. all levels here+25%comparison median $79,310
Filings45FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $84,900 and $115,618.
PercentileSalary
10th$85,300
25th$85,301
50th (median)$99,362
75th$99,362
90th$107,301

Salary by year

Median salary

$70k $90k $110k FY2020: median $85,000 (13 filings) FY2021: median $79,400 (14 filings) FY2022: median $81,100 (14 filings) FY2023: median $82,451 (24 filings) FY2024: median $85,300 (34 filings) FY2025: median $87,300 (27 filings) FY2026: median $99,362 (18 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 13 filings FY20 FY2021: 14 filings FY21 FY2022: 14 filings FY22 FY2023: 24 filings FY23 FY2024: 34 filings FY24 FY2025: 27 filings FY25 FY2026: 18 filings FY26 34
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$85,000$77,100$97,85013
FY2021$79,400$79,299$83,70214
FY2022$81,100$80,891$81,30714
FY2023$82,451$79,893$83,09724
FY2024$85,300$84,094$85,30134
FY2025$87,300$85,300$99,36227
FY2026$99,362$99,362$99,50518

Cost of living

Chicago's median mid-level Physicist salary of $99,362 is worth about $95,900 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Physicists in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $137,140 in May 2025 (1,510 employed). The H-1B median here is $99,362, 28% 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
Fermi Forward Discovery Group$99,36232
UChicago Argonnetoo few9
The University of Chicagotoo few3

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $70,758 87
Mid-level · Level II $99,362 45
Senior · Level III $115,770 12
Expert · Level IV $155,300 12

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$47,258$70,75887
Mid-level · Level II$99,362$99,36245
Senior · Level III$97,448$115,77012
Expert · Level IV$122,554$155,30012

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.