Firmware Engineering Salary in Chicago

What you should make. What you should ask for. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.

25th pctl

$113K

Median (p50)

$134K

75th pctl

$156K

90th pctl

$174K

Adjusted for Chicago at 1.05× the national baseline. See the math →

What this number means.

Firmware Engineering in Chicago pulls a median of $134,400 at mid-IC, with a top-quartile band reaching $156,450 and the 90th percentile at $174,300. Comp in Chicago runs about 5% above the national baseline. $156,450 is what top-quartile Firmware Engineering pay looks like in Chicago. Don't undersell.

How to negotiate this

Anchor$156,450 — the top-quartile number. This is the number you say first.
Target$145,425 — where a fair counter lands. Above the median, below the anchor.
Floor$134,400 — below this, you're underpaid. Walking away gets cheaper than staying.

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