Salary guide, May 2025
Validation 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.
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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 Validation 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?
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area measures Validation Engineer salaries within the Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112) group. These roles involve essential validation activities including IQ, OQ, and PQ and adherence to 21 CFR Part 11 for process, cleaning, and computer systems. Manufacturing Headhunters synthesizes this information to provide hiring managers with clear benchmarks derived from official May 2025 sources.
The local median wage for this group is $101,760, reflecting a change of 820 from May 2024. The middle-band width is 44320. Nationally, the median for the Industrial Engineers category is $102,440, with a national change of 1300. The local median is slightly lower than the national median. For sector context, the national median for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing is $127,140, and the median for Chemical Manufacturing is $118,700.
The Chicago area is compared with the Kankakee and Niles metros. Kankakee reports a median of $94,690, and Niles reports $92,820. The location quotient for Chicago is 1.2, demonstrating a high concentration of Industrial Engineering roles. For Validation 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. Hiring managers should consider these variables when building total packages.
All figures are extracted directly from the BLS May 2025 packet. No estimates are used, and all figures represent the broader Industrial Engineer occupation. For Validation 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. Managers should compare these metrics against their specific validation requirements to ensure roles are accurately positioned within the regional labor market.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What is the local median wage for this occupation in Chicago?
The median wage for Industrial Engineers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area is $101,760. This figure is based on the May 2025 BLS release.
How does the Chicago median relate to the national median?
The Chicago median of $101,760 is slightly lower than the national median of $102,440 for the same broader occupation. This provides a baseline for local salary expectations.
What is the importance of the location quotient?
A location quotient of 1.2 indicates a high concentration of Industrial Engineers in the Chicago area relative to the national average. It confirms the sound presence of engineering-focused manufacturing roles in this region.
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