Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Illinois make a median of $99,760 a year, or about $47.96 an hour. The range runs from $70K at the entry level to $157K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $106,297 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 22.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $100K get you in Illinois?
About civil engineers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Illinois
Civil engineers pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $100K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 22.9% 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 civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $70K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $157K or more, a $88K spread from bottom to top.
Civil Engineers salary by metro in Illinois
7 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | $106K | +6% | 440 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $100K | +0% | 9,760 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $99K | -1% | 230 |
| Bloomington | $97K | -3% | 120 |
| Decatur | $96K | -4% | 100 |
| Peoria | $95K | -5% | 430 |
| Rockford | $95K | -5% | 160 |
Compare to other states
Track civil engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 22.9% 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 civil engineers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $70K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,175/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is civil engineer a high-paying job in Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $100K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Illinois pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $106K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Illinois?
The median is $99,760 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $69,590, and experienced civil engineers can clear $157,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,136/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 22.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a civil 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 civil engineers salary is worth about $106,297 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do civil 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.