SOC 17-3029 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters) in Chicago, Illinois is $83,810 a year ($40.29 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $81,660: half of the 410 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($80,753).

$83,810average per year

$40.29 / hourMedian $81,660Take-home ≈ $63,783

  • $61K10th
  • $70K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $98K75th
  • $107K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

410people in this job
+4%vs U.S. metro average
#1 of 3Illinois metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,950 a year or less, while the top 10% make $107,490 or more. The middle half of other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters) in Chicago earn between $70,390 and $98,110.

  • $61K10th
  • $70K25th
  • $82KMedian
  • $98K75th
  • $107K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$83,810$6,984$40.29
Median$81,660$6,805$39.26
Entry level (25th percentile)$70,390$5,866$33.84
Experienced (75th percentile)$98,110$8,176$47.17

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $83,810, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $63,783 a year, or $5,315 a month and $2,453 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$65,306$5,442
Working in IL$63,783$5,315

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

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Is Chicago a good place for other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters)? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $83,810 buys what about $80,902 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 4.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $83,810 is worth in another city

Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other salary in other Illinois cities

Chicago ranks 1st of 3 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters)

Bremerton, WA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($108,690).

Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other salary by city

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Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other salary in Chicago: questions

How much do other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters) make an hour in Chicago?

$40.29 an hour on average, and $39.26 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters) salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $60,950 a year and the 25th percentile is $70,390, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters) take-home pay in Chicago?

About $63,783 a year ($5,315 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $83,810.

Do other engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters) earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($80,753).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3029; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.24, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.24).

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