Electrician.
Chicago.
$67,000
median salary, 8% above the national average
$53,000 to $89,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating an Electrician offer in Chicago, IL, here is the reality: $53,000 to $89,000, with $67,000 as the midpoint. 8% above the national average. License level (journeyman vs. Do not accept the first number. 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 Electrician 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 $102,350 for Electricians (SOC 47-2111) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, based on 17,720 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$49,890
25th percentile
$74,400
Median
$102,350
75th percentile
$118,660
90th percentile
$124,070
Workers surveyed
17,720
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $67,000 is 35% lower than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Electricians covers a different population than the Electrician title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Electricians (SOC 47-2111) rather than Electrician 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 47-2111Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $60,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$44,000
to $54,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$57,000
to $70,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$74,000
to $87,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$84,000
to $104,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $13,000 to the total package.
Base
$67,000
Equity
$7,000
Bonus
$5,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $80,000
How Chicago compares.
Chicago, IL
$67,000
Cost of living: 7% above average
National Average
$62,000
Chicago is $5,000 above
Electrician salary by city.
Salary by role in Chicago.
What you should know.
The Electrician landscape in Chicago is not what most salary sites will tell you. 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. License level (journeyman vs. master), union membership, and specialization are the primary factors. Industrial electricians and those working on high voltage systems earn significantly more than residential wirers. Overtime availability, geographic demand, and experience with renewable energy systems (solar, EV charging) also drive compensation upward.
Apprentice electricians earn $35,000 to $48,000 during their four to five year training. Journeyman electricians earn $55,000 to $80,000. Master electricians command $75,000 to $105,000. Electrical contractors who start their own business or move into project management can earn $100,000 to $150,000+. 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. Union electricians receive substantial benefits including pension contributions, health insurance, annuity, and apprenticeship funds that add 30 to 40% on top of hourly wages. Overtime at 1.5x to 2x the base rate is common. Non union electricians negotiate benefits individually, with more variation in total package value. 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 $67,000, 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 Electricians in Chicago runs from $53,000 to $89,000. 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
Common questions.
Electrician salary in other cities.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Electrician Salary in Chicago, IL." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/electrician/chicago
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