How much do Environmental Engineers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Percentile spread

For Environmental Engineers, the published 10th percentile is $80,240 and the 90th percentile is $153,150. The difference is $72,910, which is 65.9% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $95,470 to the 75th at $128,790, covers $33,320.

The mean annual wage is $118,370, which sits above the median of $110,700. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is 3.4% higher than the national median of $107,110 for Environmental Engineers. In 2024 national prices the local median is $106,858, which is 0.2% lower than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 2.5% higher than the Illinois median of $107,990.

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN covers more than one state. The state comparison uses Illinois, the primary state on the BLS area record.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is 103.595, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $110,700 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Environmental Engineers at $106,858 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

8 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Environmental Engineers. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ranks 1st of 9 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI is 80 miles away, with a median of $86,360 and employment of 300. That median is 22% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $89,089, against $106,858 here.
• Madison, WI is 128 miles away, with a median of $90,560 and employment of 160. That median is 18.2% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $93,085, against $106,858 here.
• Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI is 137 miles away, with a median of $102,630 and employment of 70. That median is 7.3% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $107,414, against $106,858 here.

Employment share

Environmental Engineers accounts for 0.01% of wage-and-salary employment in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (660 of 4,513,280). Nationally the occupation is 0.02% of employment (38,340 of 155,495,730). The local share is 0.59 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.