Outpaid

Chemical Engineers salary
in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Chemical Engineers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro earn a median of $110,760 a year, based on BLS estimates for 370 jobs (May 2025). That is 11% below the U.S. median of $125,040 and 9% below the IL statewide median of $121,560. It ranks #10 of 17 metros with published figures for this job.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERS · CHICAGO-NAPERVILLE-ELGIN, IL-IN · BLS
BLS OEWS MAY 2025 · CHICAGO-NAPERVILLE-ELGIN, IL-IN · ALL EMPLOYERS, ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS
P10$78,700P25$94,170MEDIAN$110,760P75$139,520P90$179,020
BLS · UNITED STATES
P10$79,420P25$97,820MEDIAN$125,040P75$157,190P90$182,880
30 SECONDS · NO SIGNUP · ON-DEVICE

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EMPLOYERS FILING FOR THIS JOB IN CHICAGO · VISA-SPONSORED BASE WAGES

Median of each employer’s DOL LCA filings (5+ filings) in this metro, FY2026 Q3. Covers sponsored positions only.

Questions

What is the average Chemical Engineers salary in Chicago?

The BLS median is $110,760 a year (May 2025). Half of the 370 jobs pay between $94,170 and $139,520. The 10th percentile is $78,700 and the 90th is $179,020.

Is Chicago a high-paying metro for Chemical Engineers?

That is 11% below the U.S. median of $125,040 and 9% below the IL statewide median of $121,560. It ranks #10 of 17 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.

Does this include experience levels?

BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).

Which employers pay Chemical Engineers the most in Chicago?

Among employers with 5+ visa-sponsored filings here, the highest medians were Uop ($140,700). These are base wages for sponsored positions, not all employees.

Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.