Engineering Manager Salary in Chicago

💰 $125K–$210K salary range

Median: $157K  ·  Based on 18 public job postings  ·  Updated July 1, 2026

This Engineering Manager salary benchmark for Chicago is built from public job postings at high-growth and AI-native companies — no private placement data. Figures reflect base salary and are refreshed as new postings are collected.

📊 Salary breakdown

Engineering Manager pay in Chicago vs. national

• Chicago: $157K median
• National: $185K median

Chicago Engineering Manager pay runs 15% below the national median.

Engineering salaries in Chicago by seniority

• Software Engineer: $149K
• Engineering Manager: $157K
• Forward Deployed Engineer: $170K
• Senior Software Engineer: $170K
• Tech Lead: $170K
• Staff Software Engineer: $218K

What does a Engineering Manager in Chicago do?

Engineering Managers are engineers who design, build, and operate the core software systems. This benchmark reflects Manager-level base compensation for Chicago-based roles at high-growth and AI-native companies.

Common questions

What is the average Engineering Manager salary in Chicago?
The median pay is $157K, with a typical range of $125K–$210K, based on 18 public Chicago job postings collected in 2025–2026.

How does Chicago compare to the national Engineering Manager salary?
The national median is $185K; Chicago is shown above.

Where does this data come from?
Public job postings on company career pages — no private placement or client data. Minimum 15 Chicago postings.

Methodology

Posted-range midpoints (USD) aggregated from 18 public job postings located in Chicago (2025–2026). Range = 25th–75th percentile; median = 50th percentile. Equity is excluded. At least 15 Chicago postings required to publish. Last refreshed July 1, 2026.

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