Entry-level Software Engineer salary in Chicago, IL

Based on 1,024 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Riverwoods, Schaumburg, Naperville, Aurora, Buffalo Grove.

Also listed as: Software Developer, Software Development Engineer, SDE

Median salary$86,000
Middle 50%$85.5k–$94.5k
vs. all levels here−33%comparison median $127,754
Filings1,024FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $85,363 and $199,644.
PercentileSalary
10th$85,363
25th$85,467
50th (median)$86,000
75th$94,514
90th$110,000

Salary by year

Median salary

$60k $80k $100k FY2020: median $71,074 (406 filings) FY2021: median $76,752 (604 filings) FY2022: median $73,000 (719 filings) FY2023: median $81,744 (523 filings) FY2024: median $82,056 (677 filings) FY2025: median $86,000 (653 filings) FY2026: median $85,500 (371 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 406 filings FY20 FY2021: 604 filings FY21 FY2022: 719 filings FY22 FY2023: 523 filings FY23 FY2024: 677 filings FY24 FY2025: 653 filings FY25 FY2026: 371 filings FY26 719
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$71,074$66,082$76,500406
FY2021$76,752$71,100$92,539604
FY2022$73,000$72,883$80,000719
FY2023$81,744$74,000$88,300523
FY2024$82,056$81,744$90,000677
FY2025$86,000$85,363$93,144653
FY2026$85,500$85,467$100,000371

Cost of living

Chicago's median entry-level Software Engineer salary of $86,000 is worth about $83,000 at national average prices.

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

Compared with all workers here

All Software Developers in the Chicago, IL area earned a median of $134,380 in May 2025 (40,370 employed). The H-1B median here is $86,000, 36% 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
Mygo Consulting$86,00025
Robot Insight Technologies$85,36323
Sumeru Technologies$86,00019
EY$90,64017
Discover$85,69214
Augmented Reality Technologies$85,46714
Akuna Capital$150,00013
Americloud Solutions$85,36313
Cloud Social Technologies$85,46713
Deloitte$85,46711

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $86,000 1,024
Mid-level · Level II $108,077 3,520
Senior · Level III $136,990 1,856
Expert · Level IV $158,188 1,710

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$85,363$86,0001,024
Mid-level · Level II$106,558$108,0773,520
Senior · Level III$127,754$136,9901,856
Expert · Level IV$148,949$158,1881,710

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.