What does a Chemical Engineers salary really buy you in Illinois?
Illinois is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Chemical Engineers earning $120,360 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $118,815 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $74,230 | $73,277 | $-952 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $95,750 | $94,521 | $-1,228 |
| Median (P50) | $120,360 | $118,815 | $-1,544 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $150,260 | $148,331 | $-1,928 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $171,110 | $168,914 | $-2,195 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $120,360 keeps most of its value at $118,815 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Chemical Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #19 out of 43 states for Chemical Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
A Chemical Engineers in Illinois earns a median salary of $120,360 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $118,815 — a -1.3% difference.
Illinois's cost of living is 1.3% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Illinois is 101.3 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Chemical Engineers in Illinois: $120,360 x (100 / 101.3) = $118,815. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.