Salary data is based on the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metropolitan area and applied to Chicago using local cost-of-living adjustments.

Electronics Engineers Salaries in Chicago, IL

Average Base Pay

$118,230/yr

1% below national average

Monthly

$9,853

Hourly

$57

Cost Index

108

Electronics Engineers in Chicago, IL earn an average of $118,230 per year, with most salaries falling between $94,584 and $141,876 depending on experience, employer, and specialization. At 1% below the national average, Chicago offers a more modest rate for this role, in part reflecting a local cost of living index of 108. For professionals evaluating a move or negotiating an offer, the headline salary is only part of the picture—what matters most is how far that income actually goes once taxes, rent, and daily expenses are factored in. The sections below break that down in full for Chicago.

Salary Range

The chart below shows the full compensation spectrum for this role, from entry-level to senior positions. The highlighted center bars represent the 25th–75th percentile band where most professionals are paid.

$89K
Low

$118K
Median

$148K
High

25th percentile: $100K75th percentile: $136K

About Electronics Engineers

Electrical Engineers design, develop, and test electrical systems and components including power generation and distribution systems, electronic circuits, communication systems, control systems, and embedded systems. The field spans power engineering, electronics, signal processing, telecommunications, and embedded systems design. Power engineers design high-voltage transmission systems, substations, and electrical distribution networks. Electronics engineers design printed circuit boards, analog and digital circuits, and microelectronic devices. Embedded systems engineers develop firmware and hardware for microcontrollers in products ranging from appliances to aerospace systems. Control engineers design feedback and automation systems for manufacturing, robotics, and process control. Electrical engineers use simulation tools such as MATLAB, Simulink, SPICE, and Altium Designer, and must translate theoretical designs into physical hardware that meets performance, reliability, and regulatory requirements. They work in energy, manufacturing, telecommunications, aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics industries. PE licensure is required for power systems engineers working on public utility projects.

What Electronics Engineers Do

Design electrical systems, circuits, and components for products or infrastructure
Develop schematics and PCB layouts using EDA tools
Perform circuit analysis, simulation, and validation testing
Specify electrical components and materials for design requirements
Develop firmware for embedded systems and microcontrollers
Ensure designs meet safety standards and regulatory requirements
Collaborate with mechanical engineers, software engineers, and manufacturing teams
Troubleshoot and resolve electrical system failures

Key Skills & Qualifications

Circuit design and analysis (analog and digital)
PCB design using Altium Designer, KiCad, or Eagle
MATLAB and Simulink for modeling and simulation
Embedded C/C++ programming for microcontrollers
Power systems fundamentals and electrical code knowledge
Oscilloscope, multimeter, and laboratory instrument proficiency
PE licensure (required for power engineering roles)
Cross-disciplinary collaboration with mechanical and software teams

Career Path

Electrical Engineer I / EIT
Electrical Engineer II
Senior Electrical Engineer
Principal / Staff Engineer
Engineering Manager / Chief Engineer

Electronics Engineers Market in Chicago, IL

Salary Competitiveness

Chicago salaries for Electronics Engineers track closely with the national median, diverging by less than 4%. This alignment suggests a competitive but balanced local market—employers are broadly in step with national pay scales, which can make benchmark comparisons more reliable when negotiating.

Cost of Living Impact

Chicago sits close to the national cost average. Monthly essential expenses represent about 40% of take-home pay for this role—a midrange ratio that allows for modest savings and discretionary spending, provided housing costs remain stable.

Effective Purchasing Power

After adjusting for local taxes and cost of living, a Electronics Engineers earning $118,230 in Chicago reaches a strong purchasing-power position. The effective standard of living this income supports is materially higher than the gross number alone implies—a useful data point for professionals comparing offers across metro areas.

vs. National Avg

-1%

Cost Pressure

40%

Purchasing Power

Strong

Take-Home Pay Calculator

Enter any gross salary to see how federal and state taxes affect your actual take-home pay, broken down by year, month, and week. Results use an estimated effective tax rate of 27% based on this location and income level.

Annual Salary

Take-home (73%)Taxes (27%)

Annual Net

$86,308

Monthly

$7,192

Weekly

$1,660

Eff. Tax Rate

27%

A gross salary of $118,230 for a Electronics Engineers in Chicago translates to roughly $7,192 in monthly take-home pay after estimated federal and state taxes. Set against monthly living costs of $2,910—covering housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare—that leaves approximately $4,282 per month in disposable income. That margin, not the gross number, is what determines whether you can comfortably cover rent, build savings, and afford discretionary spending in Chicago's current market.

How far does this salary go in Chicago?

Cost of Living in Chicago

Estimated monthly expenses for a single person in Chicago, benchmarked against US regional price indices for housing, food, transportation, utilities, and healthcare.

Cost Index

108

Above Avg — US average is 100. Based on a single person (1-bed apartment).

🏠Housing / Rent$1,750/mo

🍔Food & Groceries$530/mo

🚗Transportation$140/mo

💡Utilities$170/mo

🏥Healthcare$320/mo

Monthly$2,910

Annual$34,920

Disposable Income$4,282

Financial Reality Check

This section compares estimated monthly take-home pay against typical living costs in Chicago to show your real disposable income—the amount remaining after essential bills are paid each month.

Monthly Take-Home

$7,192

Living Costs

$2,910

Disposable

$4,282

Cost Index

108

Lifestyle

Comfortable

With a monthly take-home of $7,192, your estimated living costs in Chicago are $2,910 ($34,920/yr). This leaves $4,282 per month in disposable income, indicating a comfortable standard of living. Chicago's cost of living is 8% above the national average.

Overall, a Electronics Engineers earning $118,230 in Chicago falls into a comfortable lifestyle tier and has meaningful room to save, invest, and absorb unexpected expenses without financial stress. With a cost index of 108, Chicago is 8% more expensive than the national average, which compresses real purchasing power. Regardless of tier, prioritizing retirement contributions, an emergency fund of three to six months' expenses, and incremental debt reduction will yield the greatest long-term financial stability—especially as living costs in Chicago continue to evolve.