Chemical Engineers Salary
Chemical Engineers in Illinois make a median of $121,560 a year, or about $58.44 an hour. The range runs from $79K at the entry level to $176K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $129,526 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 19.1% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $122K actually covers in Illinois, month by month
About chemical engineers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Chemical engineers pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $122K locally vs. $125K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 19.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level chemical engineers (10th percentile) start around $79K. Mid-career wages sit at $122K. Top earners bring in $176K or more, a $97K spread from bottom to top.
Chemical Engineers salary by metro in Illinois
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $112K | -8% | 30 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $111K | -9% | 370 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a chemical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $122K, rent takes 19.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for chemical engineers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chemical engineers typically earn — is $79K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,011/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 28% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is chemical engineer a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $122K locally vs. $125K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for chemical engineers?
Illinois pays $122K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $130K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do chemical engineers make in Illinois?
The median is $121,560 a year, that works out to about $58 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,120, and experienced chemical engineers can clear $176,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $122K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,319/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 19.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a chemical engineers salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chemical engineers salary is worth about $129,526 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chemical engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.