Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $99,760 | $102,499 | -3% |
| Median hourly wage | $47.96 | $49.28 | -3% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $99,760.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $100,685 | $68,250 | $131,250 | 107 |
The median annual salary for a Civil Engineer in Illinois is $99,760, or about $47.96 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Civil Engineers is $102,499. Illinois is -3% below the national median.
Entry-level civil engineers in Illinois typically earn from $68,250 depending on the city and employer.
With 13,910 civil engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $99,760, Illinois offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 137 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 82% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Nuclear Engineers at $134,510, Computer Hardware Engineers at $133,220, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer at $129,390 — all figures are median annual wages for Illinois.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Illinois levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 137 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 82% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Illinois | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Engineers | $134,510 | $1,040 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $133,220 | $1,420 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $129,390 | $960 |
| Materials Engineers | $126,620 | $290 |
| Chemical Engineers | $121,560 | $520 |
| Engineers, All Other | $111,930 | $2,520 |
Illinois levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 747 occupations in Illinois.