Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Electrical Engineers salary really buy you in Illinois?
Illinois is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Electrical Engineers earning $107,860 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $106,475 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) | $75,470 | $74,501 | $-968 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $87,360 | $86,238 | $-1,121 |
| Median (P50) | $107,860 | $106,475 | $-1,384 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $131,960 | $130,266 | $-1,693 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $164,290 | $162,181 | $-2,108 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $107,860 keeps most of its value at $106,475 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 101.3, Illinois is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Electrical Engineers is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living, $107,860 nominal nets out to $106,476 in real purchasing power — a small 1.3% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Electrical Engineers.
Illinois ranks #43 of 49 — bottom quartile for Electrical Engineers real purchasing power. Relocation, employer negotiation, or remote roles at higher-paying markets tend to generate the biggest ROI.
Where does Electrical Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #43 out of 49 states for Electrical Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Electrical Engineers take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Electrical Engineers in Illinois earns a median salary of $107,860 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $106,475 — 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 Electrical Engineers in Illinois: $107,860 x (100 / 101.3) = $106,475. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.