Environmental Engineer.
Chicago.
$108,000
median salary, 4% above the national average
$84,000 to $136,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Environmental Engineer salary in Chicago is $108,000, 4% above the national average. Entry level starts near $84,000. Experienced professionals push past $136,000. Chicago's economy is anchored by finance, manufacturing, and a rapidly expanding tech sector. That spread is your negotiation window. 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 Environmental Engineer 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 $110,700 for Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area, based on 660 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$80,240
25th percentile
$95,470
Median
$110,700
75th percentile
$128,790
90th percentile
$153,150
Workers surveyed
660
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Environmental Engineers (SOC 17-2081) rather than Environmental Engineer 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 17-2081Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $97,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$70,000
to $86,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$92,000
to $113,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$119,000
to $140,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$135,000
to $167,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $28,000 to the total package.
Base
$108,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$10,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $136,000
How Chicago compares.
Chicago, IL
$108,000
Cost of living: 7% above average
National Average
$104,000
Chicago is $4,000 above
Environmental Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Chicago.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for Environmental Engineer 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. PE licensure, specialization in water treatment or air quality, and experience with EPA regulatory compliance drive the biggest salary differences. Engineers working on remediation of contaminated sites or in the oil and gas sector earn premiums for hazardous conditions expertise.
Junior Environmental Engineers earn $70,000 to $80,000. Mid-career engineers with PE licensure reach $88,000 to $105,000. Senior Engineers and Project Managers command $105,000 to $130,000, while Principal Engineers and Directors at consulting firms exceed $145,000. 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. PE-licensed engineers receive immediate salary bumps of 10 to 15%. Annual bonuses of 5 to 12% are typical at consulting firms. Government roles offer pension benefits and strong job security, though base salaries trend 10 to 15% lower than private sector. 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 $108,000, 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 Environmental Engineers in Chicago runs from $84,000 to $136,000. 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?
- A Financial Analyst in Chicago earns $109,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Chicago is CTO at $327,000
Common questions.
Environmental Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Chicago.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Environmental Engineer Salary in Chicago, IL." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/environmental-engineer/chicago
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