Sales Engineer salary in Chicago, IL
Based on 205 certified H-1B filings in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Naperville, Lisle, Bolingbrook, Schaumburg, Aurora.
Also listed as: Solutions Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $94,578 |
| 25th | $107,000 |
| 50th (median) | $129,100 |
| 75th | $159,092 |
| 90th | $189,200 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $107,203 | $91,499 | $123,413 | 116 |
| FY2021 | $113,025 | $93,406 | $127,606 | 99 |
| FY2022 | $126,000 | $94,325 | $150,000 | 116 |
| FY2023 | $126,000 | $102,288 | $150,488 | 67 |
| FY2024 | $125,416 | $92,000 | $145,000 | 69 |
| FY2025 | $131,573 | $99,013 | $153,750 | 110 |
| FY2026 | $126,350 | $110,427 | $161,020 | 95 |
Cost of living
Chicago's median Sales Engineer salary of $129,100 is worth about $124,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Chicago = 103.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Sales Engineers in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $104,070 in May 2025 (790 employed). The H-1B median here is $129,100, 24% higher.
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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| $155,000 | 21 | |
| Salesforce | $145,747 | 12 |
| Cisco Systems | $110,427 | 10 |
| Microsoft | too few | 9 |
| ServiceNow | too few | 8 |
| Databricks | too few | 5 |
| Valuelabs | too few | 5 |
| HCLTech | too few | 4 |
| E80 Group | too few | 4 |
| Okta | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $80,000 | 20 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,037 | 53 |
| Senior · Level III | $129,427 | 37 |
| Expert · Level IV | $145,300 | 90 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $74,880 | $80,000 | 20 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $94,578 | $104,037 | 53 |
| Senior · Level III | $110,427 | $129,427 | 37 |
| Expert · Level IV | $126,298 | $145,300 | 90 |
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.