SOC 17-3025 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for environmental engineering technologists and technicians in Chicago, Illinois is $56,590 a year ($27.21 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $51,540: half of the 70 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($64,870).

$56,590average per year

$27.21 / hourMedian $51,540Take-home ≈ $44,990

  • $42K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $52KMedian
  • $66K75th
  • $66K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

70people in this job
-13%vs U.S. average
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,370 a year or less, while the top 10% make $65,910 or more. The middle half of environmental engineering technologists and technicians in Chicago earn between $45,250 and $65,900.

  • $42K10th
  • $45K25th
  • $52KMedian
  • $66K75th
  • $66K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$56,590$4,716$27.21
Median$51,540$4,295$24.78
Entry level (25th percentile)$45,250$3,771$21.75
Experienced (75th percentile)$65,900$5,492$31.68

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay in Chicago vs. Illinois and the U.S.

Environmental engineering technologists and technicians in Chicago earn about the same as the Illinois average ($55,340) and 13% less than the U.S. average ($64,870). At the median the gap is -14% against the U.S. median of $59,920.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Chicago$56,590$51,540$42,370$65,91070
Illinois$55,340$51,540$42,130$65,91080
United States$64,870$59,920$39,910$96,66012,190

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $56,590, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $44,990 a year, or $3,749 a month and $1,730 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$45,982$3,832
Working in IL$44,990$3,749

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Illinois paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Chicago a good place for environmental engineering technologists and technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $56,590 buys what about $54,626 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 6.3 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $56,590 is worth in another city

Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in nearby metro areas

Highest-paying cities for environmental engineering technologists and technicians

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($98,370).

Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary by city

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Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in Chicago: questions

How much do environmental engineering technologists and technicians make an hour in Chicago?

$27.21 an hour on average, and $24.78 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level environmental engineering technologists and technicians salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $42,370 a year and the 25th percentile is $45,250, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the environmental engineering technologists and technicians take-home pay in Chicago?

About $44,990 a year ($3,749 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $56,590.

Do environmental engineering technologists and technicians earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is 13% less than the U.S. average for this job ($64,870).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3025; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.9%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.21, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.21).

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