Civil engineer · Chicago, IL
Civil engineer in Chicago: $2,553/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Chicago at $100,160 a year. About 9,760 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.91). The 10th percentile is $74,130 and the 90th is $159,940. Pay ranks 110th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.7× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,782/mo). Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,553 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Jackson, about 179 miles away, at $3,748 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$2,553
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$100,160
$74,130 to $159,940
Rent (1 bd)
$1,782
$2,122 (2 bd)
Employment
9,760
Location quotient 0.91
Pay rank
110th of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.7×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $100,160.
- Taxes$2,141
- Rent$1,782
- Other$1,871
- Left$2,553
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $100,160
- Federal income tax
- −$13,205
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,662
- State income tax (IL)
- −$4,821
- Take-home pay
- $74,472
- Effective tax rate
- 25.6%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,782
- Groceries
- $408
- Getting around
- $392
- Healthcare
- $459
- Utilities and internet
- $255
- Everything else
- $357
- Total spending
- $3,653
After tax and rent
$2,553 left/mo
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Jackson, $3,748/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Compare Chicago with another city
Other jobs in Chicago
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a civil engineer make in Chicago?
$100,160 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 9,760 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Chicago?
$2,553 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax Rent is $1,782, and pay covers 4.7× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Jackson, about 179 miles away, leaves $3,748 a month, more than Chicago.