Talent Maps / Chicago / Aerospace Engineers

Chicago Aerospace Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What aerospace engineers earn in Chicago, from Northrop Grumman’s defense electronics campus in Rolling Meadows to AAR’s aviation services headquarters near O’Hare and the Rockford engine and controls cluster, where they work and what is driving demand.

Hiring aerospace engineers in Chicago?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers aerospace engineers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area, a market built on defense electronics, aircraft maintenance and component makers rather than aircraft assembly. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses employer, state and news reports from 2024 to 2026. Our engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Dallas-Fort Worth aerospace talent map and our Chicago mechanical, electrical and industrial engineer talent maps.

$134,510Median aerospace engineer pay in metro ChicagoBLS, May 2025

3,000+Northrop Grumman employees in Illinois, where its Rolling Meadows site covers 1 million square feetNorthrop Grumman, March 2026

700+AAR employees in Illinois, including its Wood Dale headquartersIllinois EDC, October 2025

$2.8BAAR’s record revenue in fiscal 2025, up 20%Illinois EDC, October 2025

2,000+Collins Aerospace employees at its Rockford sites in 2025Rockford News First, September 2026

70,440Square feet Boeing leases back at its former Chicago headquarters from September 2026CoStar, December 2025

Aerospace engineer salaries in Chicago

The median aerospace engineer in metro Chicago earns $134,510 a year, almost exactly the national median of $134,960 and well above the Illinois median of $108,940. The middle half earn between $104,400 and $177,980. The top 10% earn $191,800 or more, below the national figure of $205,890. Compare one of the largest aerospace markets in the country in our Dallas-Fort Worth aerospace talent map.

Annual pay percentile	Chicago metro	Illinois	United States
10th percentile	$83,870	$78,170	$86,700
25th percentile	$104,400	$98,300	$106,110
Median	$134,510	$108,940	$134,960
75th percentile	$177,980	$153,800	$169,690
90th percentile	$191,800	$184,520	$205,890

Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine.

Chicago pays mid-career engineers well. Its 75th percentile of $177,980 is above the national 75th percentile of $169,690, even though the very top of the range trails other markets.

Where Chicago’s aerospace engineers work

Defense electronics

Northrop Grumman’s 1 million square foot Rolling Meadows site is the largest defense industry employer in Illinois, and the company employs more than 3,000 people in the state.

The site builds the IVEWS electronic warfare suite for the F-16, the CIRCM and LAIRCM infrared countermeasures systems and the LITENING targeting pod, and supports space programs.

Aviation services and MRO

AAR, headquartered in Wood Dale, calls itself the largest independent aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company in North America. It has more than 700 employees in Illinois and posted record revenue of $2.8 billion in fiscal 2025.

Its Rockford airframe MRO grew from about 35 employees in 2016 to 400.

Engines and controls

Collins Aerospace employed more than 2,000 people at its Rockford sites in 2025, including an electric power systems lab on Harrison Avenue.

Woodward is moving its servo-hydraulic control valve production from California to its Rock Cut facility in Loves Park over 12 to 18 months from April 2026.

Corporate offices and airlines

Boeing moved its headquarters to Arlington, Virginia in 2022 and sold its Chicago tower in late 2025. It is leasing back 70,440 square feet there from September 2026 to August 2032.

O’Hare is a hub for United and American, and both airlines back the $8.78 billion ORDNext rebuild of the airport.

Where the talent sits: Chicago submarkets

Rolling Meadows

DefenseElectronics

Northrop Grumman’s development, test and manufacturing site in the northwest suburbs.

O’Hare and Wood Dale

MROAirlines

AAR’s headquarters and the United and American hubs at O’Hare.

Downtown Chicago

Corporate

Boeing’s leased floors at 100 N. Riverside Plaza, and Illinois Tech’s aerospace program in the city.

Rockford region

EnginesControls

Collins Aerospace, Woodward in Loves Park and AAR’s Rockford MRO, outside the Chicago metro.

Lewis University

Aviation training

FAA-approved aviation programs since 1932, with its own airport on campus.

What’s driving demand for aerospace engineers in Chicago

Electronic warfare and survivability. Northrop’s Rolling Meadows programs include IVEWS for the F-16 and the CIRCM and LAIRCM countermeasures, with development, testing and production on one site.
MRO growth. AAR’s revenue rose 20% in fiscal 2025, and its Rockford hangar has grown to 400 employees.
Work moving into the region. Woodward is moving servo valve production to Loves Park. The move affects 300 jobs in California, and it is not yet clear how many will move.
O’Hare’s rebuild. Concourse D, with 19 gates, is due in late 2028, the first phase of Concourse E starts in 2026, and the Global Terminal is set for 2029 to 2033.
Less corporate aerospace. Boeing’s headquarters has left, and the company now leases three floors downtown.

The talent pipeline

Illinois Tech. Illinois Tech offers an ABET-accredited BS in aerospace engineering, with wind tunnel labs and a five-year combined bachelor’s and master’s option.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Its aerospace department ranks eighth for undergraduate and seventh for graduate aerospace engineering, according to US News figures the department cites.
Rock Valley College. Its fellowship with AAR lets 10 to 20 students a year work part-time at the Rockford MRO while earning airframe and powerplant certification. About 50 of the site’s 400 employees are graduates.
Adjacent engineers. Mechanical engineers in metro Chicago earn a median of $102,070 and are a key source of talent. See our Chicago mechanical engineer talent map.

What this means if you’re hiring

Chicago is a defense electronics and sustainment market. Electronic warfare, avionics and maintenance experience is concentrated here. Write job posts for that audience.
Mid-career pay is high. The 75th percentile is $177,980, above the national figure. Plan offers for experienced engineers at or above that level.
Senior pay trails Texas. The top 10% earn $191,800 or more in Chicago, against $214,150 in Dallas-Fort Worth. Senior engineers from Texas may need a raise to move.
Plan for clearances. Defense electronics work often requires a security clearance, which narrows the pool and adds time.

Need aerospace engineers in Chicago?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place aerospace, mechanical, electrical and systems engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 847.994.3030 or see our Chicago engineering recruiters page.

Hire aerospace engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do aerospace engineers make in Chicago?

The median aerospace engineer salary in metro Chicago is $134,510 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $104,400 and $177,980, and the top 10% earn $191,800 or more.

Who hires aerospace engineers in Chicago?

Northrop Grumman in Rolling Meadows, AAR in Wood Dale and, in the Rockford region, Collins Aerospace and Woodward. Boeing keeps leased offices downtown.

Does Chicago pay aerospace engineers more than Dallas-Fort Worth?

At the median the two are level: $134,510 in metro Chicago and $134,570 in Dallas-Fort Worth, against a national median of $134,960. Dallas-Fort Worth pays more at the top, where its 90th percentile is $214,150 against Chicago’s $191,800. See our Dallas-Fort Worth aerospace talent map, and read more on whether aerospace engineering is a good career.

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