Chicago compensation
Data center salaries in Chicago 2026
In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro, the median electrician earned $49.21 an hour and the median HVAC mechanic $37.48 in May 2025, according to BLS. Posted pay for data center technicians in our October 2026 reading ran $35 to $58 an hour, national. On October 25, 2026, the five hyperscalers listed 31 open data center roles located in Illinois.
Pay in Chicago
In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro, the median electrician earned $49.21 an hour and the median HVAC mechanic $37.48 in May 2025, according to BLS. Posted pay for data center technicians in our October 2026 reading ran $35 to $58 an hour, national. On October 25, 2026, the five hyperscalers listed 31 open data center roles located in Illinois.
Median electrician pay 62% above and median HVAC mechanic pay 28% above the U.S. median (BLS, May 2025)
Employers
Meta lists the most hyperscaler data center roles in Illinois: 11 of 31 on October 25, 2026. Microsoft 8, Oracle (OCI) 8, Amazon (AWS) 4. Colocation operators, facilities management firms, commissioning firms and contractors hire for the same sites.
Last reviewed · First published
Figures come from our monthly datasets and change when those pages refresh. BLS wage data updates once a year.
Wages
Local wages
Hourly wages in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro for the trades and engineers who build and run data centers. BLS does not publish a data center technician occupation.
| Occupation | 25th | Median | 75th | Median vs U.S. | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians 47-2111 | $35.77 | $49.21 | $57.05 | 62% above | 17,720 |
| HVAC mechanics 49-9021 | $29.35 | $37.48 | $46.53 | 28% above | 7,210 |
| Electrical engineers 17-2071 | $44.39 | $54.58 | $64.58 | 6% below | 4,290 |
| Mechanical engineers 17-2141 | $39.97 | $49.07 | $62.65 | 2% below | 6,900 |
| Substation and relay electricians 49-2095 | $51.80 | $55.04 | $62.52 | 11% above | 170 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, hourly. Occupations with fewer than 100 people employed in the metro are left out. Method and every metro on the pay premium study.
Postings
Posted pay
The median low and high ends of the pay ranges stated in data center job postings we read this month. Too few postings state pay to show these by city, so these figures are national.
| Role | Posted range | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Commissioning technician | $38 to $60/hr | 5 |
| Commissioning engineer | $101K to $159K | 16 |
| Commissioning manager or lead | $141K to $214K | 12 |
| Commissioning agent (CxA) | $84K to $140K | 5 |
| Data center technician | $35 to $58/hr | 5 |
| Chief engineer | $110K to $166K | 5 |
Source: Our October 2026 reading of posted pay, national, shown where at least five postings state pay. Postings by role on the commissioning pay ranges and operations pay ranges pages.
Role guides: Critical Facilities Engineer, Commissioning Agent (CxA), Data Center Technician, MEP Coordinator, Data Center Construction Project Manager, GPU Cluster Engineer.
Local factors
Chicago pay factors
- Our Chicago tracker lists 12 projects: 1 under construction, 3 approved and 6 stalled or cancelled.
- The project under construction states no capacity.
- Naval Station Great Lakes, the Navy's largest training station. Navy recruits go through boot camp here.
FAQ
Questions
- What does a data center technician make in Chicago?
- Posted pay for data center technicians ran $35 to $58 an hour in our October 2026 reading, the median low and high ends of 5 national postings that stated hourly pay. For the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro, BLS reports the median HVAC mechanic at $37.48 an hour with the 75th percentile at $46.53, and the median electrician at $49.21 with the 75th percentile at $57.05 (May 2025). Shift differential and overtime are paid on top and vary by employer.
- Who is hiring data center staff in Chicago?
- Meta lists the most hyperscaler data center roles in Illinois: 11 of 31 on October 25, 2026. Microsoft 8, Oracle (OCI) 8, Amazon (AWS) 4. Colocation operators, facilities management firms, commissioning firms and contractors hire for the same sites.
- How many data centers are being built in Chicago?
- Our tracker lists 12 Chicago projects: 1 under construction, 3 approved and 6 stalled or cancelled, as of November 4, 2026.
Other markets
Other markets
The same figures for other markets.
Pay for your Chicago site
A market map benchmarks the range against the people within reach of your location.