Senior Sales Engineer salary in Chicago, IL
Based on 37 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $110,427 |
| 25th | $114,670 |
| 50th (median) | $129,427 |
| 75th | $155,000 |
| 90th | $168,664 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $103,500 | $96,000 | $125,400 | 33 |
| FY2021 | $113,025 | $98,842 | $135,000 | 29 |
| FY2022 | $128,414 | $122,912 | $151,289 | 30 |
| FY2023 | $126,000 | $125,757 | $134,882 | 19 |
| FY2024 | $113,200 | $113,152 | $138,174 | 13 |
| FY2025 | $134,000 | $115,000 | $159,092 | 21 |
| FY2026 | $114,092 | $110,427 | $137,250 | 16 |
Cost of living
Chicago's median senior Sales Engineer salary of $129,427 is worth about $124,900 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 $129,427, 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.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Systems | too few | 6 |
| too few | 4 | |
| Salesforce | too few | 4 |
| Microsoft | too few | 4 |
| eClinicalWorks | too few | 2 |
| L&T Technology Services | too few | 2 |
| Prudence | 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.