Expert Sales Engineer salary in Chicago, IL
Based on 90 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $126,298 |
| 25th | $130,500 |
| 50th (median) | $145,300 |
| 75th | $183,566 |
| 90th | $200,200 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $117,250 | $107,203 | $139,221 | 44 |
| FY2021 | $121,000 | $117,250 | $147,500 | 27 |
| FY2022 | $150,500 | $138,050 | $191,750 | 35 |
| FY2023 | $161,357 | $150,619 | $193,663 | 19 |
| FY2024 | $145,000 | $135,179 | $175,241 | 27 |
| FY2025 | $154,100 | $134,576 | $185,836 | 38 |
| FY2026 | $135,500 | $126,298 | $182,697 | 52 |
Cost of living
Chicago's median expert Sales Engineer salary of $145,300 is worth about $140,300 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 $145,300, 40% 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
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| $180,000 | 11 | |
| ServiceNow | too few | 6 |
| Salesforce | too few | 5 |
| Databricks | too few | 4 |
| Oracle | too few | 3 |
| ChemTreat | too few | 3 |
| Microsoft | too few | 3 |
| Valuelabs | too few | 3 |
| Ca | too few | 2 |
| CADDi | too few | 2 |
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.