Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $107,860 | $118,932 | -9% |
| Median hourly wage | $51.86 | $57.18 | -9% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $107,860.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $116,067 | $78,750 | $152,250 | 107 |
The median annual salary for a Electrical Engineer in Illinois is $107,860, or about $51.86 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Electrical Engineers is $118,932. Illinois is -9% below the national median.
Entry-level electrical engineers in Illinois typically earn from $78,750 depending on the city and employer.
With 5,460 electrical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $107,860, Illinois offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, electrical engineers rank 90 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 88% 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, electrical engineers rank 90 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 88% 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.