Automation Engineer Average Salary in Chicago 2024
How much money does a person working as Automation Engineer make in Chicago?
LOW
47,300
USD AVERAGE
103,000
USD HIGH
163,000
USD
A person working as Automation Engineer in Chicago typically earns around 103,000 USD. Salaries range from 47,300 USD (lowest) to 163,000 USD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Automation Engineer salaries in Chicago vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Automation Engineer Pay Scale and Salaries in Chicago
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
97,500 USD or more
85,400 to 97,500 USD
58,800 USD or less
58,800 to 85,400 USD
 47,300 USD |
98,200 USD |
163,000 USD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Automation Engineer in Chicago range from 47,300 USD (starting salary) to 163,000 USD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 98,200 USD, half of the professionals who work as Automation Engineer in Chicago earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Automation Engineer in Chicago earn less than 79,200 USD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 113,000 USD while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Automation Engineer in Chicago compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 58,800 USD to 85,400 USD. About 20% of salaries are below the 58,800 USD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 85,400 USD to 97,500 USD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 97,500 USD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Automation Engineer / Chicago
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 53,700 USD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 71,700 USD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +48% | 106,000 USD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 129,000 USD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 141,000 USD |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 152,000 USD |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Automation Engineer and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 53,700 USD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 71,700 USD, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 106,000 USD, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 129,000 USD, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 141,000 USD, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 152,000 USD, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Automation Engineer / Chicago
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Automation Engineer.
| Bachelor's Degree | 62,400 USD | |
| Master's Degree | +93% | 120,000 USD |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Automation Engineer in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: Bachelor's Degree
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 62,400 USD.
Level 2: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 120,000 USD, 93% more than the previous level.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in United States costs anywhere from 39,600 USD to 119,000 USD and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Automation Engineer / Chicago
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Automation Engineer in United States, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
| Male | 94,500 USD | |
| Female | -5% | 90,200 USD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in United States for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Automation Engineer / Chicago
How much are annual salary increments in Chicago for individuals working as Automation Engineer? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Automation Engineer in United States are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately % every months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.
United States / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Automation Engineer / United States
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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100% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while % said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from % to % of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | % | |
| No Bonus | 100% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Automation Engineer / Chicago
49 USD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Automation Engineer in Chicago is 49 USD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Automation Engineer in Chicago is 23 USD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Engineering |  -100% | |
| 3D Printing Engineer | 92,600 USD | -10% |
| Acoustics Engineer | 99,800 USD | -3% |
| Assembly Engineering Technician | 75,800 USD | -26% |
| Assistant Chief Engineer | 111,000 USD |  +8% |
| Associate Engineer | 86,500 USD | -16% |
| AutoCAD Drafter | 59,700 USD | -42% |
| Autocad Operator | 61,600 USD | -40% |
| Automation Engineer | 102,000 USD | -1% |
| Avionic System Support Engineer | 96,100 USD | -6% |
| Biochemical Engineer | 89,700 USD | -13% |
| BMS Engineer | 97,200 USD | -5% |
| Bridge and Lock Tender | 56,000 USD | -46% |
| Broadcast Engineer | 97,600 USD | -5% |
| CAD Design Engineer | 98,500 USD | -4% |
| CAD Designer | 60,400 USD | -41% |
| CAE Engineer | 98,600 USD | -4% |
| Ceramics Engineer | 91,800 USD | -11% |
| Chemical Engineer | 106,000 USD | +3% |
| Civil Drafter | 59,700 USD | -42% |
| Civil Engineer | 105,000 USD | +2% |
| Civil Site Engineer | 102,000 USD | -1% |
| Civil Technician | 60,600 USD | -41% |
| Cognitive Engineer | 97,200 USD | -5% |
| Commissioning Engineer | 95,700 USD | -7% |
| Communications Engineer | 109,000 USD | +6% |
| Condition Monitoring Engineer | 85,800 USD | -17% |
| Contract Associate Engineer | 91,300 USD | -11% |
| Contract Engineer | 92,300 USD | -10% |
| Control Systems Engineer | 95,600 USD | -7% |
| Controls Engineer | 97,600 USD | -5% |
| Controls Software Engineer | 86,600 USD | -16% |
| Corrosion Engineer | 89,900 USD | -13% |
| Design Engineer | 105,000 USD | +2% |
| Director of Engineering | 208,000 USD | +100% |
| Drafter | 59,700 USD | -42% |
| Drafting Manager | 111,000 USD | +8% |
| Drilling Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Drilling Foreman | 30,300 USD | -71% |
| Electrical Draughtsman | 48,400 USD | -53% |
| Electrical Engineer | 115,000 USD | +12% |
| Electrical Engineering Manager | 137,000 USD | +33% |
| Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 103,000 USD | +0% |
| Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 50,600 USD | -51% |
| Energy Engineer | 107,000 USD | +4% |
| Engine Assembler | 44,600 USD | -57% |
| Engineer | 102,000 USD | -1% |
| Engineering Account Manager | 111,000 USD | +8% |
| Engineering Chief Designer | 113,000 USD | +10% |
| Engineering Consultant | 137,000 USD | +33% |
| Engineering Key Account Manager | 147,000 USD | +43% |
| Engineering Lab Technician | 92,300 USD | -10% |
| Engineering Manager | 132,000 USD | +28% |
| Engineering Planning Manager | 144,000 USD | +40% |
| Engineering Production Manager | 182,000 USD | +77% |
| Engineering Project Analyst | 117,000 USD | +14% |
| Engineering Project Coordinator | 121,000 USD | +18% |
| Engineering Project Director | 206,000 USD | +100% |
| Engineering Project Leader | 134,000 USD | +30% |
| Engineering Project Manager | 145,000 USD | +41% |
| Engineering Research and Development Manager | 160,000 USD | +56% |
| Engineering Safety Coordinator | 80,500 USD | -22% |
| Engineering Sales Manager | 138,000 USD | +34% |
| Engineering Technician | 80,500 USD | -22% |
| Engineering Technologist | 75,800 USD | -26% |
| Environmental Engineer | 95,600 USD | -7% |
| Equipment Engineer | 89,900 USD | -13% |
| Equipment Engineering Manager | 131,000 USD | +27% |
| Estimator | 82,300 USD | -20% |
| Fabrication Specialist | 72,800 USD | -29% |
| Fabricator | 47,300 USD | -54% |
| Facade Engineer | 93,800 USD | -9% |
| Fiber Analyst | 60,100 USD | -42% |
| Field Engineer | 104,000 USD | +1% |
| Field Engineering Manager | 172,000 USD | +67% |
| Fire Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Fitter and Turner | 32,600 USD | -68% |
| Forestry Strategic Planner | 116,000 USD | +13% |
| Generation Engineer | 103,000 USD | +0% |
| Genetic Engineer | 106,000 USD | +3% |
| Geological Engineer | 105,000 USD | +2% |
| Geotechnical Engineer | 109,000 USD | +6% |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 55,700 USD | -46% |
| Highway Engineer | 103,000 USD | +0% |
| HSE Professional | 91,600 USD | -11% |
| Human Machine Interface Engineer | 89,300 USD | -13% |
| HVAC Engineer | 111,000 USD | +8% |
| HVAC Supervisor | 89,900 USD | -13% |
| Industrial Engineer | 92,000 USD | -10% |
| Industrial Engineering Technologist | 96,900 USD | -6% |
| Instrument Engineer | 94,400 USD | -8% |
| Instrument Technician | 54,700 USD | -47% |
| Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 99,400 USD | -3% |
| Instrumentation Designer | 85,800 USD | -17% |
| Instrumentation Engineer | 100,000 USD | -3% |
| Instrumentation Manager | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Irrigation Engineer | 93,800 USD | -9% |
| Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 105,000 USD | +2% |
| Locomotive Engineer | 96,900 USD | -6% |
| Maintenance Engineer | 91,500 USD | -11% |
| Maintenance Fitter | 33,900 USD | -67% |
| Maintenance Manager | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Manufacturing Engineer | 94,900 USD | -8% |
| Marine Engineer | 100,000 USD | -3% |
| Materials Engineer | 98,600 USD | -4% |
| Materials Researcher | 90,600 USD | -12% |
| Materials Technician | 73,100 USD | -29% |
| Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 104,000 USD | +1% |
| Mechanical Design Engineer | 107,000 USD | +4% |
| Mechanical Designer | 87,500 USD | -15% |
| Mechanical Engineer | 108,000 USD | +5% |
| Mechanical Engineering Manager | 144,000 USD | +40% |
| Mechanical Inspector | 94,900 USD | -8% |
| Mechatronics Engineer | 106,000 USD | +3% |
| Mining Engineer | 100,000 USD | -3% |
| Nanotechnology Engineer | 102,000 USD | -1% |
| Natural Language Processing Engineer | 108,000 USD | +5% |
| Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 114,000 USD | +11% |
| Optical Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Optical Instrument Assembler | 53,000 USD | -48% |
| PCB Assembler | 36,500 USD | -64% |
| Photonics Engineer | 113,000 USD | +10% |
| Photonics Technician | 92,800 USD | -10% |
| Pipeline Engineer | 88,100 USD | -14% |
| Piping Designer | 52,700 USD | -49% |
| Piping Engineer | 89,900 USD | -13% |
| Planning Engineer | 105,000 USD | +2% |
| Pressure Vessel Inspector | 46,600 USD | -55% |
| Principal Cost Engineer | 104,000 USD | +1% |
| Principal Engineer | 96,900 USD | -6% |
| Principal Support Engineer | 97,900 USD | -5% |
| Process Engineer | 94,400 USD | -8% |
| Process Operator | 56,500 USD | -45% |
| Product Development Engineer | 100,000 USD | -3% |
| Product Development Technician | 74,500 USD | -28% |
| Product Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Product Safety Engineer | 91,300 USD | -11% |
| Production Engineer | 103,000 USD | +0% |
| Project Engineer | 104,000 USD | +1% |
| Proposal Manager | 133,000 USD | +29% |
| Purchasing Engineer | 88,000 USD | -14% |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | 98,400 USD | -4% |
| Rail Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Regional Field Engineer | 112,000 USD | +9% |
| Remote Sensing Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Robotics Engineer | 116,000 USD | +13% |
| Robotics Technician | 84,900 USD | -17% |
| Safety Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Safety Inspector | 76,600 USD | -25% |
| Safety Manager | 114,000 USD | +11% |
| Safety Officer | 50,000 USD | -51% |
| Sales Engineer | 105,000 USD | +2% |
| Scheduling Engineer | 92,700 USD | -10% |
| Security Engineer | 110,000 USD | +7% |
| Service Engineer | 107,000 USD | +4% |
| Smart Home Engineer | 105,000 USD | +2% |
| Solar Engineer | 103,000 USD | +0% |
| Staff Engineer | 99,400 USD | -3% |
| Static Equipment Engineer | 101,000 USD | -2% |
| Stationary Engineer | 89,100 USD | -13% |
| Stress Engineer | 97,200 USD | -5% |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | 93,600 USD | -9% |
| Structural Designer | 87,500 USD | -15% |
| Structural Engineer | 94,600 USD | -8% |
| Structural Technician | 62,600 USD | -39% |
| Subsea Engineer | 128,000 USD | +25% |
| Supply Chain Specialist | 93,600 USD | -9% |
| Surveyor | 76,400 USD | -26% |
| Technical Affairs Officer | 48,900 USD | -52% |
| Technical Assistant | 50,500 USD | -51% |
| Technical Engineer | 84,900 USD | -17% |
| Technical Support Engineer | 85,800 USD | -17% |
| Tender Engineer | 92,800 USD | -10% |
| Test Development Engineer | 102,000 USD | -1% |
| Test Engineer | 95,600 USD | -7% |
| Transportation Engineer | 97,100 USD | -6% |
| Urban Engineer | 99,900 USD | -3% |
| Validation Engineer | 89,200 USD | -13% |
| Verification Engineer | 96,100 USD | -6% |
| Wastewater Engineer | 96,600 USD | -6% |
| Wind Energy Engineer | 96,900 USD | -6% |
| Wind Energy Operations Manager | 128,000 USD | +25% |
| Wireless Engineer | 112,000 USD | +9% |
| Work Planner | 73,300 USD | -29% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Chicago | 103,000 USD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in United States is 5% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 92,800 USD | |
| Public Sector | +5% | 97,500 USD |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Automation Engineer in Chicago?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 98,200 USD and 113,000 USD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Automation Engineer in Chicago ranges from 47,300 USD to 79,200 USD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
