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Mechanical Engineer Salary and Equity in Chicago 2026
How much does a Mechanical Engineer expect to make at Chicago-based startups? The average expected salary for Mechanical Engineers in Chicago-based startups is 119k per year, with a range from 91k to 173k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Mechanical Engineers in Chicago startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
119.3k
Average Salary
5 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average salary for a Mechanical Engineer in Chicago is $119,300, which is 5.0% lower than the average Chicago startup salary of$125,625. Mechanical 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
$160,200/yr
Range $153k - $173k
Average
$119,300/yr
Range $108k - $133k
Below Average
$98,000/yr
Range $91k - $107k
Industries
The highest average salary a Mechanical Engineer in Chicago can get in Financial Services, that is $135,000. This pay is 17.7% higher than the average Mechanical Engineer salary in Chicago, which is $114,650. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Financial Services (avg $135,000 per year), Robotics (avg $135,000 per year), Artificial Intelligence (avg $135,000 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Mechanical Engineer in Chicago can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $147,500. This pay is 17.4% higher than the average salary in Chicago startups, which is $125,625. 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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