Engineering Manager Salary in Chicago, IL (2026)
Typical pay is $163,430 a year, with most engineering managers in Chicago, IL earning between $133,100 and $200,400. Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Salary Calculator›Engineering Manager›Chicago, IL
The typical engineering manager in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earns $163,430 a year, about the same as the Illinois median and 5% less than the national median. Early-career pay starts around $133,100, experienced engineering managers earn $200,400 or more, and the top 10% make over $235,240. About 6,670 people work in this occupation in the metro area.
Engineering Manager salary in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Annual pay, BLS survey of May 2025
What engineering managers do
Engineering managers lead engineering teams and projects, owning budgets, schedules, technical quality and hiring. Most have years of hands-on engineering experience first. BLS counts them as architectural and engineering managers.
Engineering Manager pay in Chicago compared
| Area | Typical | Early career | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $163,430 | $133,100 | $200,400 |
| Illinois | $163,610 | $133,070 | $200,190 |
| United States | $171,270 | $139,360 | $212,500 |
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 |
| Process Engineer | $110,760 |
| Industrial Engineer | $101,760 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,510 |
| Environmental Engineer | $110,700 |
| 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 |
Engineering Manager salary FAQs
How much does a engineering manager make in Chicago, IL?
The typical (median) engineering manager in Chicago, IL earns $163,430 a year, or about $78.57 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
What is the entry-level salary for a engineering manager in Chicago, IL?
Early-career engineering managers in Chicago, IL typically earn around $133,100 (the 25th percentile), and the lowest-paid 10% earn under $112,440. Degree, internships, licenses and the industry all move starting pay.
How much do experienced engineering managers earn in Chicago, IL?
Experienced engineering managers in Chicago, IL earn $200,400 or more (the 75th percentile), and the top 10% earn over $235,240.
Do engineering managers earn more in Chicago, IL than the national average?
The typical engineering manager in Chicago, IL earns 5% less than the national median of $171,270. Prices in the metro area are 3.6% above the US average (BEA, 2024), so the same salary buys a little less there.
Are engineering managers in demand?
BLS projects employment in this occupation to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all jobs, with about 14,900 openings a year nationally as people retire, change jobs or the field grows.
Hiring engineering managers 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: Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041).