Sales Engineers Salary
The median pay for a sales engineers in Rockford, IL is $75,320/year ($36.21/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $67K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.15), which stretches that salary to about $81,736 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,175/month, or 23.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $75K get you in Rockford?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rockford’s Regional Price Parity (92.15). 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 sales engineers
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What this looks like in Rockford
Pay for sales engineers in Rockford runs about 40% below the U.S. median of $125K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,175/month, 24.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.15 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Rockford can be a reasonable trade-off for sales engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sales engineers in metros near Rockford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $104K | $100K |
| Cedar Rapids | $99K | $111K |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $120K | $124K |
| St. Louis | $103K | $108K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rockford, IL
Entry-level sales engineers (10th percentile) start around $67K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Sales Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sales Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $167K | +34% | 80 |
| Maryland | $153K | +23% | 850 |
| Rhode Island | $150K | +20% | 30 |
| Washington | $148K | +18% | 760 |
| Colorado | $140K | +12% | 2,800 |
| California | $139K | +11% | 6,310 |
| New Jersey | $139K | +11% | 1,760 |
| New York | $137K | +10% | 3,150 |
| Massachusetts | $136K | +9% | 3,150 |
| West Virginia | $135K | +8% | 40 |
| Arizona | $132K | +6% | 1,000 |
| Arkansas | $131K | +5% | 30 |
| Texas | $131K | +5% | 6,800 |
| Oregon | $128K | +3% | 540 |
| Idaho | $128K | +3% | 360 |
| Florida | $126K | +1% | 2,410 |
| Connecticut | $124K | -1% | 760 |
| Louisiana | $122K | -3% | N/A |
| North Carolina | $122K | -3% | 2,530 |
| New Mexico | $119K | -4% | 80 |
| South Dakota | $119K | -5% | 100 |
| Wisconsin | $118K | -6% | 1,300 |
| Utah | $118K | -6% | 480 |
| Vermont | $117K | -6% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $115K | -8% | 290 |
| South Carolina | $114K | -9% | 770 |
| Michigan | $114K | -9% | 2,290 |
| Tennessee | $112K | -11% | 530 |
| New Hampshire | $108K | -14% | 300 |
| Alabama | $104K | -16% | 220 |
| Minnesota | $101K | -19% | 990 |
| Illinois | $100K | -20% | 1,150 |
| Nevada | $99K | -21% | 320 |
| Georgia | $99K | -21% | 1,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $99K | -21% | 1,980 |
| Kansas | $98K | -22% | 220 |
| Ohio | $97K | -22% | 1,210 |
| Maine | $95K | -24% | 140 |
| Missouri | $91K | -27% | 710 |
| Kentucky | $90K | -28% | 380 |
| Nebraska | $90K | -28% | 130 |
| Iowa | $83K | -33% | 310 |
| Indiana | $75K | -40% | 980 |
| Alaska | $71K | -43% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sales engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rockford numbers change.
Related careers in Sales
Frequently asked questions
Can a sales engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rockford?
Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 24.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,175/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for sales engineers in Rockford?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sales engineers typically earn — is $67K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,042/month. At HUD’s $1,175/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is sales engineer a high-paying job in Rockford?
Local pay runs 40% below the national median — $75K here vs. $125K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Rockford compare to the national average for sales engineers?
Rockford pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $125K — that’s -40%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.15), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — below the national median.
How much do sales engineers make in Rockford, IL?
The median is $75,320 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $67,370, and experienced sales engineers can clear $108,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Rockford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,804/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,175/month, which eats 24.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a sales engineers salary go in Rockford?
Rockford has a Regional Price Parity of 92.15 (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 sales engineers salary is worth about $81,736 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sales 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.