What does a Mechanical 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 2026-04-02
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Mechanical Engineers earning $99,420 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $98,144 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) | $64,160 | $63,336 | $-823 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $78,530 | $77,522 | $-1,007 |
| Median (P50) | $99,420 | $98,144 | $-1,275 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $127,580 | $125,942 | $-1,637 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $151,370 | $149,427 | $-1,942 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $99,420 keeps most of its value at $98,144 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Mechanical Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #27 out of 51 states for Mechanical Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
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How much do you actually take home? See Mechanical Engineers take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Mechanical Engineers in Illinois earns a median salary of $99,420 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $98,144 — 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 Mechanical Engineers in Illinois: $99,420 x (100 / 101.3) = $98,144. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.