Process Engineer Salary in Chicago, IL (2026)
Typical pay is $110,760 a year, with most process engineers in Chicago, IL earning between $94,170 and $139,520. Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Salary Calculator›Process Engineer›Chicago, IL
The typical process engineer in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earns $110,760 a year, 9% less than the Illinois median and 11% less than the national median. Early-career pay starts around $94,170, experienced process engineers earn $139,520 or more, and the top 10% make over $179,020. About 370 people work in this occupation in the metro area.
Process Engineer salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Annual pay, BLS survey of May 2025
What process engineers do
Process engineers improve and troubleshoot production processes in refineries, chemical plants, food plants and manufacturing lines, focusing on yield, safety and cost. The figures shown use the BLS chemical engineer occupation, which covers most process engineering roles in plants.
Process Engineer pay in Chicago compared
| Area | Typical | Early career | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $110,760 | $94,170 | $139,520 |
| Illinois | $121,560 | $95,800 | $140,010 |
| United States | $125,040 | $97,820 | $157,190 |
The Chicago job market
Chicago has one of the largest manufacturing bases in the US, a fast-growing data center cluster and major transportation projects, including the O'Hare rebuild and the Red Line Extension.
Other engineering, design and supply chain salaries in Chicago
| Role | Typical |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineer | $102,070 |
| Electrical Engineer | $113,520 |
| Controls Engineer | $113,520 |
| Civil Engineer | $100,160 |
| Industrial Engineer | $101,760 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,510 |
| Environmental Engineer | $110,700 |
| Engineering Manager | $163,430 |
| Construction Manager | $117,280 |
| Architect | $81,790 |
| CAD Designer | $58,800 |
| Mechanical Designer | $72,540 |
| Supply Chain Analyst | $79,900 |
| Buyer | $78,510 |
| Software Developer | $134,380 |
Process Engineer salary FAQs
How much does a process engineer make in Chicago, IL?
The typical (median) process engineer in Chicago, IL earns $110,760 a year, or about $53.25 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
What is the entry-level salary for a process engineer in Chicago, IL?
Early-career process engineers in Chicago, IL typically earn around $94,170 (the 25th percentile), and the lowest-paid 10% earn under $78,700. Degree, internships, licenses and the industry all move starting pay.
How much do experienced process engineers earn in Chicago, IL?
Experienced process engineers in Chicago, IL earn $139,520 or more (the 75th percentile), and the top 10% earn over $179,020.
Do process engineers earn more in Chicago, IL than the national average?
The typical process engineer in Chicago, IL earns 11% less than the national median of $125,040. Prices in the metro area are 3.6% above the US average (BEA, 2024), so the same salary buys a little less there.
Are process engineers in demand?
BLS projects employment in this occupation to grow 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all jobs, with about 1,100 openings a year nationally as people retire, change jobs or the field grows.
Hiring process engineers in Chicago?
Where these numbers come from
Pay figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (OEWS), which surveys about 1.1 million employer locations and is the government's main source of pay by occupation and location. This page uses the May 2025 survey, released in 2026, and updates itself when BLS publishes the next year's figures. Job outlook comes from the BLS Employment Projections for 2025–35. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024, where the US average is 100.
Pay is base wages and salary before tax. It does not include bonuses, overtime, benefits or equity. Early career is the 25th percentile (a quarter of workers earn less), Typical is the median and Experienced is the 75th percentile. The bar shows the full range from the 10th to the 90th percentile. The salary rank check estimates a percentile by drawing straight lines between those five published points.
BLS groups some job titles together. Controls engineers, for example, are counted with electrical engineers, and CAD designers with drafters. Each result names the BLS occupation it uses so you can see exactly what is being measured. BLS does not publish every occupation in every area, for example when too few people in a job were surveyed or when a figure does not meet its reliability standards. When a metro figure is missing, the calculator shows the state figure, or the national figure if the state is also missing, and says so.
BLS occupation used on this page: Chemical Engineers (SOC 17-2041).