Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians Salary
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $74,890 a year, or about $36.01 an hour. The range runs from $48K at the entry level to $100K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $72,295 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 36.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $75K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About industrial engineering technologists and technicians
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin sits well above the national pay line for industrial engineering technologists and technicians, local pay runs about 13% higher than the U.S. median of $66K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 37.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for industrial engineering technologists and technicians in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Rockford | $71K | $77K |
| Peoria | $79K | $87K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $65K | $67K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $60K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level industrial engineering technologists and technicians (10th percentile) start around $48K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $100K or more, a $51K spread from bottom to top.
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $79K | +20% | 750 |
| Maryland | $79K | +20% | 490 |
| California | $79K | +20% | 5,710 |
| Washington | $78K | +19% | 1,050 |
| Oregon | $76K | +15% | 910 |
| New Jersey | $73K | +10% | 920 |
| Vermont | $72K | +10% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $72K | +9% | 2,070 |
| Illinois | $71K | +8% | 2,260 |
| Minnesota | $70K | +7% | 5,380 |
| New York | $70K | +6% | 4,090 |
| South Carolina | $70K | +6% | 2,400 |
| North Carolina | $70K | +5% | 1,940 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | +5% | 620 |
| Connecticut | $69K | +5% | 670 |
| Utah | $67K | +2% | 1,400 |
| Colorado | $67K | +1% | 930 |
| Alabama | $67K | +1% | 1,010 |
| Virginia | $66K | +0% | 1,270 |
| Arizona | $66K | -0% | 2,080 |
| Ohio | $65K | -1% | 5,340 |
| Wisconsin | $65K | -1% | 2,660 |
| Pennsylvania | $65K | -1% | 1,790 |
| Georgia | $65K | -2% | 1,840 |
| Michigan | $65K | -2% | 5,410 |
| Iowa | $64K | -3% | 710 |
| North Dakota | $64K | -3% | 100 |
| Idaho | $63K | -4% | 300 |
| Indiana | $63K | -5% | 2,560 |
| Maine | $63K | -5% | 310 |
| Missouri | $62K | -6% | 1,220 |
| Arkansas | $62K | -6% | 330 |
| Texas | $62K | -6% | 5,060 |
| Nevada | $61K | -7% | 990 |
| Florida | $61K | -7% | 3,110 |
| New Mexico | $61K | -7% | 480 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -8% | 1,330 |
| Kansas | $61K | -8% | 570 |
| Montana | $60K | -9% | 90 |
| Nebraska | $60K | -9% | 240 |
| Rhode Island | $59K | -10% | 170 |
| Tennessee | $58K | -12% | 2,650 |
| West Virginia | $57K | -13% | 140 |
| South Dakota | $55K | -17% | 310 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -24% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track industrial engineering technologists and technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a industrial engineering technologists and technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 37.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for industrial engineering technologists and technicians in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new industrial engineering technologists and technicians typically earn — is $48K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,907/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 61% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is industrial engineering technologists and technician a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay is 13% above the national median — $75K here vs. $66K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for industrial engineering technologists and technicians?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $66K — that’s +13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do industrial engineering technologists and technicians make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $74,890 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,450, and experienced industrial engineering technologists and technicians can clear $99,800. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,780/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 37.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a industrial engineering technologists and technicians salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median industrial engineering technologists and technicians salary is worth about $72,295 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do industrial engineering technologists and technicians 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.
