Average Electrical Engineer Salary in Illinois

Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment, including electric motors, navigation systems, power generation equipment, and communications systems. They work across industries as diverse as defense, renewable energy, semiconductor design, automotive, and telecommunications. The breadth of the field spans from micro-scale integrated circuit design to utility-scale power grid systems, creating diverse career paths with strong salary potential. The national median annual salary is approximately $107,700, with power systems engineers, RF specialists, and those in defense/aerospace regularly exceeding $140,000.

In Illinois, electrical engineers earn an average of $114,978 per year as of 2026, with salaries ranging from $74,606 for entry-level roles to $171,984 for the most experienced professionals — +1.3% above the national average. Pay is influenced most by specialization — power systems, rf/microwave, and semiconductor design command the highest premiums, industry sector — defense and aerospace, semiconductor, and energy pay significantly more than consumer electronics, and the specific metro area within Illinois.