Civil Engineers in Illinois. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median annual wage for Civil Engineers in Illinois was $97,640 in 2024, about 1.5% above the national median of $96,198. That gap is narrow. Illinois pays close to the national figure, not significantly above or below it.
The spread between earners is wider than the headline suggests. Civil Engineers at the 10th percentile earned $66,340, while those at the 90th earned $154,790. Top earners took home roughly 2.3 times what entry-level peers did. That range reflects how much experience, project scale, and specialization move the number over a career. A newly licensed engineer and a senior project lead in infrastructure finance are both Civil Engineers in this data.
Illinois has a cost-of-living index of 99.5, essentially flat against the national baseline of 100. That means the nominal wage and the real wage are nearly identical here. A Civil Engineer earning the Illinois median keeps almost all of that premium relative to peers in higher-cost states like California or New York, where a larger share of the paycheck goes to housing and living costs.
BLS projects employment for Civil Engineers to grow 5% between 2024 and 2034, which falls in the faster-than-average category. Illinois follows a national pattern of sustained infrastructure demand, with public-sector capital programs in transportation, water systems, and utilities continuing to drive hiring across the decade.
Salary distribution
Where Illinois civil engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $79,650 and $125,990, with a median of $99,760.
Civil Engineers in Illinois: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 315 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $87,360. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 145 | $76,500 |
| Level II — qualified | 82 | $90,875 |
| Level III — experienced | 54 | $110,981 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 23 | $125,000 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Civil Engineers in Illinois. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCO/Murray National Construction Company, LLC | Project Manager | 10 | $99,750 |
| Clayco, Inc. | Project Manager | 9 | $118,581 |
| Michael Baker International, Inc. | Civil Engineer I | 8 | $88,500 |
| GSG CONSULTANTS, INC | Hydraulics Engineer | 7 | $95,000 |
| HDR Engineering, Inc. | Structural Engineer | 7 | $103,022 |
| AECOM Technical Services, Inc. | Structural Engineering V | 6 | $117,010 |
| Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. | Civil Engineer | 6 | $71,251 |
| T.Y. Lin International | Associate | 6 | $108,000 |
| Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc. | Civil Engineer I | 5 | $94,507 |
| Modjeski and Masters, Inc. | Engineer in Training II | 5 | $85,904 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Project Manager I at Ryan Companies US, Inc.$110,681WestmontWage Level IIIDecided Mar 31, 2026I-200-26083-726070
- Project Manager at ARCO/Murray National Construction Company, LLC$165,000Downer GroveWage Level IVDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-722448
- Postdoctoral Research Associate at University of Illinois$56,560RantoulWage Level IDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-723462
- Project Manager at Clayco, Inc.$124,093ChicagoWage Level IVDecided Mar 27, 2026I-200-26079-717691
- Preconstruction Manager at Clayco, Inc.$124,093ChicagoWage Level IVDecided Mar 24, 2026I-200-26076-708677
- Project Manager at ARCO/Murray National Construction Company, LLC$106,000Downers GroveWage Level IIDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26075-706938
- Resident Consultant at Trimble Inc.$100,000SpringfieldWage Level IIDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-702851
- CM Staff Engineer II at GSG CONSULTANTS, INC$95,000SchaumburgWage Level IIDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-703024
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Where do you stand?
Get an instant percentile reading. Anonymous, no signup.
Aggregate unlocks once 5 readers have shared a salary for this role and state.
Civil Engineers pay by experience level in Illinois
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Civil Engineers specialties in Illinois
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 188 certified offers. The most common variant is Civil Engineer at a median of $80,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineer | Applied Pavement Technology, Inc. | 49 | $80,000 |
| Project Engineer | Sumit Construction Co Inc | 34 | $80,000 |
| Project Manager | ARCO/Murray National Construction Company, LLC | 29 | $108,160 |
| Senior Engineer | HBM ENGINEERING GROUP, LLC | 23 | $90,000 |
| Structural Engineer | GSG CONSULTANTS, INC | 20 | $102,669 |
| Field Engineer | J.F. Edwards Construction Company | 9 | $78,000 |
| CIVIL PROJECT ENGINEER | Sumit Construction Co, Inc | 5 | $120,640 |
| Project Engineer - Civil | Autumn Construction Services, Inc. | 5 | $80,101 |
| Associate Design Engineer | AG&E Associates, PLLC | 4 | $74,628 |
| Construction / Civil Engineer | Lakeshore Engineering, LLC | 4 | $85,696 |
| Structural Engineering Developer | Structure Point LLC | 3 | $132,000 |
| Assistant Construction Manager | BURNS & MCDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC. | 3 | $112,773 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Civil Engineers in Illinois, by industry
Median offered wage across 225 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $86,870.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | Michael Baker International, Inc. | 204 | $86,870 |
| Technology and software | Structure Point LLC | 9 | $125,040 |
| Manufacturing | Archer Daniels Midland Company | 4 | $112,047 |
| Transportation and logistics | Pacific Asiana LLC | 3 | $70,824 |
| Nonprofit and civic | BIG, NFP | 2 | $94,703 |
| Real estate | ZANG & DI LLC | 1 | $87,000 |
| Education | University of Illinois | 1 | $56,560 |
| Retail and wholesale | Amazon.com Services LLC | 1 | $136,000 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Illinois over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.7 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.7 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.5 / 5
Building and Construction
Knowledge
- 4.5 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- 02
Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
- 03
Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- 04
Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
- 05
Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- 06
Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
- 07
Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
- 08
Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+5.0%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
Sponsored
Build the skills employers list for Civil Engineers
Online courses from licensed providers. We may earn a commission when you enroll. The commission does not influence our rankings or wage data.
Explore coursesTop metros in Illinois
Metro-level salary data for civil engineers in major Illinois metropolitan areas.
- Chicago$100,160
Compare Civil Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare Illinois with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Civil Engineers in Illinois?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Civil Engineers in Illinois is $99,760.
- How does Illinois compare to the national median for Civil Engineers?
- The Illinois median is -2.7% versus the BLS national figure of $102,499.
- What is the salary range for Civil Engineers in Illinois?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $69,590 and the 90th-percentile at $157,410, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Civil Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 5.0% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Civil Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.