Salary guide, May 2025
Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician 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 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $59,950 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $45,350 and $59,950.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is $14,140 below the national median of $74,090, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 49-2094 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
The Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
What should you know about chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $41,780 | $45,350 | $59,950 | $59,950 | $83,830 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20.09 | $21.80 | $28.82 | $28.82 | $40.30 |
BLS estimated 910 workers employed in this occupation in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Location quotient: 0.48.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $46,840 | $60,040 | $74,090 | $88,710 | $105,590 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $22.52 | $28.86 | $35.62 | $42.65 | $50.77 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician median is $59,950. The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720. Ratio: 1.10 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.48 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 | $38,990 | $60,420 | $85,400 |
| May 2025 | $45,350 | $59,950 | $59,950 |
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 49-2094 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment, 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 49-2094 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Kenosha, WI | $77,340 | $65,420 to $77,450 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $71,770 | $56,920 to $78,480 |
National page · Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician ranked across metros
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro reports 910 I&E Technicians within the SOC 49-2094 category. 48, this area shows a lower concentration of these professionals than other regional manufacturing centers. For Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $59,950; the May 2024 median is $60,420. Their arithmetic difference is -$470.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle band width for this occupation in the metro is $14,600, indicating a relatively condensed pay structure for the majority of the workforce. For Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Nationally, the manufacturing sector offers distinct benchmarks, including $109,570 for Aerospace and $105,590 for Petroleum and Coal Products. For Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $45,350 to $59,950 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them. The ISA CCST is a standard credential for identifying high-performing technicians in this field. Because BLS does not track these plant-specific qualifications or shift schedules, hiring managers should treat the $45,350 to $59,950 range as a starting point for assessing market-level talent.
Neighboring Wisconsin metros provide useful comparisons. The Kenosha, WI area reports a higher median of $77,340, while Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI shows a median of $71,770. Chicago's lower median of $59,950 stands out against these nearby markets, though the regional economic drivers differ. The national mean for this occupation is $75,570, which is substantially higher than the Chicago mean of $60,600. These differences highlight the importance of balancing national industry benchmarks with local competitive realities during salary planning.
The classification SOC 49-2094 is intentionally broad to encompass diverse commercial and industrial maintenance duties. Consequently, the Chicago data reflects a mix of tasks, from basic electrical repair to advanced loop testing. As a hiring manager, you must identify how your specific technical requirements, such as troubleshooting beyond start and stop, align with the broader market benchmarks provided. For Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $59,950; the May 2024 median is $60,420. Their arithmetic difference is -$470. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Is the negative median change in Chicago indicative of a shrinking demand for technicians?
For Instrumentation & Electrical (I&E) Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $59,950; the May 2024 median is $60,420. Their arithmetic difference is -$470. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The stability of the numbers reflects a consistent but slow-moving regional wage floor for general industrial repair roles.
How should I view the difference between Chicago and Kenosha wages?
Kenosha reports a higher median of $77,340, which may reflect specific localized competition for talent among a smaller pool of manufacturers. Chicago's lower median is reflective of a much larger, more diverse metro area where diverse industrial repair duties pull the average toward the center.
Do the Chicago numbers cover all types of electrical repairers?
Yes, the data covers the broad SOC 49-2094, which aggregates diverse commercial and industrial maintenance duties. This makes it difficult to isolate specific pay rates for niche I&E technical roles without further screening for skills like HART calibration.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4 · Related wage comparison 5