Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $102,680 | $107,639 | -5% |
| Median hourly wage | $49.37 | $51.75 | -5% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $102,680.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $104,486 | $73,500 | $136,500 | 107 |
The median annual salary for a Mechanical Engineer in Illinois is $102,680, or about $49.37 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Mechanical Engineers is $107,639. Illinois is -5% below the national median.
Entry-level mechanical engineers in Illinois typically earn from $73,500 depending on the city and employer.
With 11,790 mechanical engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $102,680, Illinois offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, mechanical engineers rank 121 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 84% 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, mechanical engineers rank 121 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 84% 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.