AI Analyst.
Chicago.
$117,000
median salary, 4% above the national average
$81,000 to $168,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
AI Analyst pay in Chicago ranges from $81,000 to $168,000 in 2026. The median is $117,000, 4% above the national average. Chicago's economy is anchored by finance, manufacturing, and a rapidly expanding tech sector. Every dollar in that range is negotiable if you come prepared. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for AI Analyst in Chicago, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $107,640 for Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, based on 7,940 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$70,740
25th percentile
$84,600
Median
$107,640
75th percentile
$138,210
90th percentile
$168,880
Workers surveyed
7,940
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) rather than AI Analyst specifically. The Chicago range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-2051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $105,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$76,000
to $94,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$99,000
to $123,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$129,000
to $152,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$146,000
to $181,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $54,000 to the total package.
Base
$117,000
Equity
$33,000
Bonus
$14,000
Signing
$7,000
Estimated total: $171,000
How Chicago compares.
Chicago, IL
$117,000
Cost of living: 7% above average
National Average
$113,000
Chicago is $4,000 above
AI Analyst salary by city.
Salary by role in Chicago.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for AI Analyst roles in Chicago, here is what you are walking into. Chicago's economy is anchored by finance, manufacturing, and a rapidly expanding tech sector. The city has become a major hub for fintech, enterprise SaaS, and e-commerce. With lower living costs than coastal cities and a deep talent pool from top universities, Chicago offers strong salary to cost of living ratios for professionals across industries. AI Analyst compensation is driven by domain specialization, SQL and statistical depth, and the financial or operational impact of insights delivered. Equity is a major component at roughly 25% of base — candidates should weight stock grants as heavily as salary when comparing offers. Within tech-sector AI Analysts specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
AI Analysts at tech companies progress Analyst → Senior Analyst → Staff Analyst or Analytics Manager over 6 to 10 years. Data Scientist and Data Engineering are common lateral moves at the senior level for those wanting deeper technical work. In Chicago, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for AI Analysts runs roughly $159K at median when factoring base + equity (25% of base annually) + bonus (15% of base). Equity is the single largest non-base component — candidates should model vesting schedules (typically 4-year with 1-year cliff) and compare grant values across offers carefully. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: illinois has a flat 4.95% state income tax. Chicago does not levy a separate city income tax, making the overall burden moderate compared to coastal metros. When someone quotes you $117,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference the Bay Area or NYC salary band for your role, then negotiate a modest discount. Chicago employers routinely offer 85 to 90% of coastal pay. The range for AI Analysts in Chicago runs from $81,000 to $168,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- An AI Data Scientist in Chicago earns $118,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Chicago is CTO at $327,000
- See all ai engineering roles tracked in Orbyt Intelligence
Common questions.
AI Analyst salary in other cities.
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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"AI Analyst Salary in Chicago, IL." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ai-analyst/chicago
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