Salary guide, May 2025
Automation Engineer pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Engineers, All Other in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $121,910 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $85,050 and $150,090.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is $1,020 below the national median of $122,930, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2199 Engineers, All Other
BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.
What should you know about chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $61,860 | $85,050 | $121,910 | $150,090 | $172,260 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $29.74 | $40.89 | $58.61 | $72.16 | $82.82 |
BLS estimated 1,570 workers employed in this occupation in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Location quotient: 0.35.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $66,810 | $90,970 | $122,930 | $158,090 | $189,950 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $32.12 | $43.73 | $59.10 | $76.01 | $91.32 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Automation Engineer median is $121,910. The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720. Ratio: 2.23 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.35 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $83,840 | $117,980 | $139,980 |
| May 2025 | $85,050 | $121,910 | $150,090 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2199 Engineers, All Other, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2199 Engineers, All Other, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | $104,490 | $58,560 to $118,340 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $106,320 | $88,410 to $130,600 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin market reports a median salary of $121,910 for an Automation Engineer under the SOC 17-2199 broad engineering category. The median grew by a medianChange of 3930 from the previous May 2024 level of $117,980. With a middle band width of 65040, the P25 is $85,050 and the P75 is $150,090.
Manufacturing Headhunters notes that this broad occupation classification limits the specificity of the wage to pure automation engineering.
Relevant national industry wages include $164,720 for Audio and Video Equipment, $149,250 for Sawmills and Wood Preservation, and $136,090 for Beverage Manufacturing. Comparison metros show a lower median of $104,490 in Rockford and $106,320 in Milwaukee-Waukesha. BLS reporting excludes components such as performance incentives and sign-on bonuses, so these figures represent base salary only.
Core tasks for this role involve PLC and robot integration, automated line commissioning, and justifying project ROI. The location quotient of 0.35 indicates low employment density for this occupation relative to the national total. Because the BLS maps these roles to a broader category, pay levels can be influenced by varied plant-level duties that are not separately measured. The national median for this category is $122,930, which is higher than the Chicago median. The salary is annual, and there is no estimation of non-reported compensation. The figures remain supported by current OEWS data.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the Chicago median lower than the national median?
The Chicago median of $121,910 is marginally lower than the national median of $122,930 for the same broader occupation. Local demand and the specific mix of engineering roles in this metro affect these figures.
Does the occupation count in Chicago represent automation specialists?
No, the count reflects all engineering roles mapped to the broader SOC 17-2199 code. This includes many specialized fields beyond automation engineering.
What is the significance of the 0.35 location quotient?
The low location quotient indicates that the concentration of this broader engineering occupation is significantly lower in the Chicago area compared to the U.S. as a whole.
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