Salary guide, May 2025
Manufacturing 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 Industrial Engineers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $101,760 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $82,260 and $126,580.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is $680 below the national median of $102,440, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 17-2112 Industrial Engineers
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,420 | $82,260 | $101,760 | $126,580 | $155,480 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.78 | $39.55 | $48.92 | $60.86 | $74.75 |
BLS estimated 12,750 workers employed in this occupation in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Location quotient: 1.2.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $74,370 | $83,600 | $102,440 | $129,250 | $159,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35.76 | $40.19 | $49.25 | $62.14 | $76.85 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Manufacturing Engineer median is $101,760. The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720. Ratio: 1.86 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 1.2 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 | $81,230 | $100,940 | $123,820 |
| May 2025 | $82,260 | $101,760 | $126,580 |
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 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, 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 17-2112 Industrial Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | $94,690 | $76,340 to $113,940 |
| Niles, MI | $92,820 | $76,350 to $112,910 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters reviews the Industrial Engineers occupation in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, which provides the wage basis for local Manufacturing Engineer talent. The area reports a median of $101,760, which is slightly lower than the national median of $102,440. The local middle band width, derived from the P25 of $82,260 and P75 of $126,580, is $44,320.
This indicates a slightly tighter range in pay variance compared to the national middle band width of $45,650.
For Manufacturing Engineer in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $101,760; the May 2024 median is $100,940. Their arithmetic difference is $820. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The Chicago metro maintains a location quotient of 1.2, indicating a high employment density for this SOC. Since the BLS uses a broad mapping, these figures combine all industrial sectors and do not specify pay based on particular manufacturing processes like machining, molding, or assembly. For Manufacturing Engineer 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.
National manufacturing industry benchmarks show higher medians in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing at $127,140 and Chemical Manufacturing at $118,700. These figures serve as a reference point for the high-end industrial specialization that often demands the skills we screen for, including PFMEA, line layout, and control plan development. Our screening emphasizes proficiency in CAD software platforms and process knowledge, which are not explicitly measured by these aggregate wage statistics.
Comparison metros include Kankakee, IL, with a median of $94,690 and a middle band width of $37,600, and Niles, MI, with a median of $92,820 and a middle band width of $36,560. Both regional comparators report lower medians and narrower middle band widths than the Chicago core. These figures utilize Census 2025 geography for point-to-point comparisons. The reported values are subject to the limitations of the broad occupation code and do not account for individual experience or specific employer-provided perks.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Manufacturing Engineer in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $101,760; the May 2024 median is $100,940. Their arithmetic difference is $820. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Is the Chicago median for Industrial Engineers above the national average?
No, the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin median of $101,760 is slightly lower than the national median of $102,440. This reflects current BLS reporting for the broader occupational group.
How did the local median change compared to the previous year?
For Manufacturing Engineer in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $101,760; the May 2024 median is $100,940. Their arithmetic difference is $820. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
Does the report account for specific CAD software experience in the salary range?
No, the BLS wage data is general for the occupation and does not segment by specific software skills like parametric mechanical CAD, product design CAD, or integrated CAD/CAM. These factors are assessed during our engineering screening process.
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