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Data Engineer Salary and Equity in Chicago 2026
How much does a Data Engineer expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for Data Engineers in Chicago-based startups is 123k per year, with a range from 30k to 238k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Data Engineers in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
123.4k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average salary for a Data Engineer in Chicago is $123,375, which is 9.3% higher than the average Chicago startup salary of$112,875. Data Engineer salaries in Chicago are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$196,208/yr
Range $157k - $238k
Average
$123,375/yr
Range $95k - $200k
Below Average
$90,083/yr
Range $30k - $164k
Industries
The highest average salary a Data Engineer in Chicago can get in Information Technology, that is $225,000. This pay is 28.2% higher than the average Data Engineer salary in Chicago, which is $175,500. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Information Technology (avg $225,000 per year), Software (avg $225,000 per year), Financial Services (avg $200,000 per year).
Tech Stack
The highest average salary a Data Engineer in Chicago can get with Python, that is $100,000. This pay is 11.4% lower than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $112,875. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
Top Tech Stacks
The top-paying Data Engineer skills in Chicago of 2026 are:
1. Python
$100k
2. SQL
$100k
3. Kubernetes
$95k
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Data Engineer in Chicago can get with 4-6 years of experience, that is $90,000. This pay is 20.3% lower than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $112,875. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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