Salary guide, May 2025
PLC / Controls 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.
Closest proxy · SOC 49-2094 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
The PLC / Controls 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 PLC / Controls 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 · PLC / Controls Technician ranked across metros
What does this data mean for your opening?
In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, the median annual salary for a PLC / Controls Technician was $59,950 as of May 2025. For PLC / Controls 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 current middle-band width is $14,600, which reflects the range between the 25th and 75th percentiles. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that this role is integral to maintaining modern production systems, involving tasks such as HMI configuration and industrial network troubleshooting. For PLC / Controls 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 local median of $59,950 is significantly lower than the national median for the occupation, which is $74,090. The national middle-band width is $28,670, meaning the national market shows a much larger pay spread than Chicago. For national industrial context, the aerospace manufacturing sector reports a median of $109,570, and the petroleum and coal products sector reports $105,590. These national figures provide a broad sector performance reference, not an occupational wage target. For PLC / Controls 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.
In terms of regional comparison, the Kenosha area shows a median of $77,340, while the Milwaukee-Waukesha area reports a median of $71,770. Chicago’s current median for this role is lower than these nearby Wisconsin markets. The location quotient for Chicago is 0.48, which shows that this occupation is less dense here than the national average. For PLC / Controls 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. Accurate assessment of programming capabilities in tools like RSLogix or SCADA integration software remains essential for identifying the right talent for the local market.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the Chicago median salary significantly lower than the national median?
The difference between the Chicago median of $59,950 and the national median of $74,090 points to local labor market conditions and potentially a higher proportion of mid-level technician roles in the area.
How does the narrow $14,600 middle-band width impact hiring?
A narrow middle-band width suggests a more compressed pay structure. It indicates that the majority of technician roles in Chicago fall within a relatively tight compensation range, limiting the need for extreme salary variance.
What is the importance of the 0.48 location quotient for Chicago?
The quotient shows the employment concentration. A figure of 0.48 indicates that this occupation accounts for a smaller percentage of the Chicago labor market compared to the national average, making it an economic indicator only.
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